Brittney Griner Files for Divorce
Eight years after getting married, Brittney Griner has filed for divorce from Cherelle Griner, who became one of her most outspoken supporters during the WNBA star’s nearly year-long detention in Russia.
According to court records obtained by ABC News, Griner filed the divorce petition Thursday in Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia. The documents describe the marriage as “irretrievably broken” with “no hope of reconciliation.” The couple reportedly separated on July 24.
The filing seeks joint physical custody of their son, Bash, who was born in 2024. It also asks the court to fairly divide the couple’s marital assets and debts.
The divorce filing brings an unexpected development to a relationship that gained widespread attention beyond the world of basketball. When Griner was detained in Russia in 2022 over drug charges involving vape cartridges containing hashish oil, Cherelle emerged as a prominent advocate for her wife’s release.
Cherelle spoke publicly about Griner’s detention, appeared on national television, met with government officials and urged the Biden administration to make her wife’s return a priority. Throughout Griner’s 10-month imprisonment, Cherelle helped keep the case in the international spotlight.
Griner ultimately returned to the United States in December 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange. At the time, she expressed gratitude to Cherelle for supporting her through what she called one of the hardest periods of her life.
The couple later welcomed their son, Bash, in 2024, marking a significant family milestone following years of intense public attention surrounding Griner’s case.
An attorney representing Brittney told ABC News that the family intends to handle the divorce privately. Cherelle has not publicly addressed the filing.
