Cherelle Griner contemplates her wife, Brittney Griner, coming home after the NBA star spent several months in a Russian prison.
Brittney is serving a nine-year sentence in the country after being caught on February 17 with what Russian airport authorities described as a banned substance.
The WNBA star was released via a trade deal and reunited with Cherelle on December 9. The long-awaited meeting was so moving for the couple that they cried when they saw themselves.
They now reconnect and exchange individual stories about their experiences through the ordeal.
Read on to learn more.
‘We both just cried for a moment’
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In an interview with People’s Magazine, Cherelle recalls her emotional reunion with her wife, Britney, after they split for almost a year because the NBA star was held in a Russian prison on drug charges.
“We both cried immediately,” he said, recalling the moment he saw Brittney through the window of the plane as it landed. “I was standing there with tears in my eyes, and someone ran up and handed me a handkerchief. I definitely need it.”
The ordeal became more real for Cherelle when the NBA star finally got off the plane. He couldn’t believe that his wish to see his wife back home finally came true after 294 days.
“I just held tight. I can’t let it go,” the lawyer added according to the publication. “I can’t stop touching his face. I was like: ‘Is this really you?’ It doesn’t feel real. It’s chilling.”
Why Brittney Griner Was Arrested
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On February 17, Brittney was found in possession of a vape pen containing hash oil by Russian airport authorities and was detained. He was in the country at the time, playing for the UMMC Ekaterinburg squad in the Russian Premier League as part of his off-season.
Brittney was later charged with smuggling illegal drugs and sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison after being found guilty at trial.
“It was almost as if someone punched you in the stomach, and you inhaled,” Cherelle recalled receiving when she heard the news of her wife’s sentence. “You can never breathe.”
After months of passionately advocating for Brittney’s release, Cherelle was notified by the White House that an exchange deal had been made to bring her wife home on December 9th. The exchange involved a released WNBA star for a notorious inmate named Viktor Bout, known as the Merchant of Death.
Cherelle Griner ‘Has Felt Many Days’
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Although Cherelle is now reunited with his wife, there are times when his hopes of seeing her again hang by a thread. However, he refused to give up even though it looked like Brittney might serve out the rest of her nine-year sentence.
“I’m down a lot of days,” Cherelle admitted during the interview. “You try and stay grounded, but I’m human. However, I will not completely give up on my wife’s life.”
Throughout Brittney’s incarceration, Cherelle would spend some nights beset by anxiety or spent time talking to his wife’s attorney.
When Brittney finally returned to their home in Arizona, the couple spent their first night talking because they had only been able to communicate by letter before.
“The first night, we didn’t sleep at all,” Cherelle said. ‘We just talked all night and all morning. And it’s great to be able to do that … It’s great to have that dialogue back and forth.”
Cherelle And Brittney Griner Are Figuring Out How To ‘Get Back Together As One’
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Now, the couple has decided not to dwell on how much time they’ve lost but to share their unique experiences through the ordeal, hoping they can figure out “how we came back together as one.”
“It’s unfortunate that those 10 months went by without us being able to be together,” Cherelle said. “But it happened, and we embrace the fact that we can now learn each other’s stories through that time.”
He added per Many people, “So we slowly. We don’t do everything at once. But we respect the fact that I went through something very difficult and difficult without BG’s awareness, and vice versa. Day by day, we just feed a little soul and understand each other’s journey so we can start walking together.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
