Griner's detention and prisoner exchange shaped legal aftermath
Griner's detention and release preceded her subsequent divorce filing and joint custody arrangement.
Event / Society
Brittney Griner Divorce Filing
WNBA player Brittney Griner filed for divorce from wife Cherelle Griner in Georgia, seeking joint custody of their son. The filing comes four years after Griner's 2022 detention in Russia on drug possession charges and her release through prisoner exchange.
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2026-08-14 to 2026-11-11 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 2 Aug, 03:22 UTC
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What happened
Brittney Griner files for divorce from wife Cherelle
WNBA star Brittney Griner filed for divorce from her wife Cherelle Griner in Fulton County Superior Court, Georgia. The couple was married in June 2018 and separated on July 24, 2026. The petition states the marriage is "irretrievably broken" with "no hope of reconciliation."
US completes prisoner exchange for Brittney Griner
The United States completed a prisoner exchange with Russia in December 2022 that resulted in the release of Brittney Griner after she had been detained for 10 months on drug possession charges.
Brittney Griner detained in Russia for hashish oil cartridges
Brittney Griner was taken into custody by Russian authorities at a Moscow airport in February 2022 after being accused of possessing vaping cartridges containing hashish oil. She was detained for 10 months and sentenced to nine years in prison before being released in a prisoner exchange in December 2022.
Griner and wife seek joint custody of son
Brittney Griner and Cherelle Griner are seeking joint physical custody of their son Bash, who was born in 2024. The petition also requests an equitable division of marital assets and debts.
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Brittney Griner Files for Divorce, Seeks Joint Custody
Brittney Griner files for divorce and seeks joint custody of their son.