During a Tuesday interview with Gayle King on "CBS Mornings," Cherelle Griner essentially said she was aghast when she heard her basketball superstar wife had been detained for "large-scale" transportation of drugs, as the Russians alleged when they arrested her in Moscow on February 17.
"It blew my mind. I'm like, large scale? I live with BG every day, so I'm like, there's no way possible," Cherelle said. "I knew it wasn't true the minute that I heard the charge, because I know my wife."
Where's The President?
Cherelle has publicly commented on several occasions that she's not had the opportunity to speak with President Biden about Brittney's arrest, detention and what many see as a show trial, which began on July 1.
Griner herself sent a handwritten letter to Biden, which was delivered on the 4th of July. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that the president had indeed received and read the missive. The Biden administration recently said Griner's case "has the fullest attention of the president and every senior member of his national security and diplomatic team."
Cherelle Griner Is Not Seeing The Attention And Not Keeping Quiet Anymore
Cherelle told CBS host Gayle King that she has decided to “not be quiet anymore” because the Biden administration so far has been unable to bring Brittney home.
“I will find that balance of … harm versus help in pushing our government to do everything that’s possible because being quiet, they’re not moving, they’re not doing anything,” said Cherelle who recently earned a law degree and graduated with honors from North Carolina Central University.
Meanwhile, Griner’s coach, Vanessa Nygaard suggested Monday that the WNBA superstar’s clout, or lack thereof, may be part of why there's not been more urgency to get her out of the Russian jail where she's been since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Nygaard said that if LeBron James had been locked up abroad, he'd be home by now. LeBron and other NBA players have spoken out on Griner's behalf.
Hear more of Cherelle Griner's "CBS Mornings" interview with Gayle King below:
Brittney Griner's wife says it is "very disheartening" that WNBA star has not heard from President Biden yet https://t.co/rk7CmIobUM
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 5, 2022
Photo from Brittney Griner's Instagram