Divorce Filing and Petition Details

Brittney Griner, a 10-time WNBA All-Star currently playing for the Connecticut Sun, has initiated divorce proceedings against her wife, Cherelle Griner . The petition was filed on July 30 in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia . According to the court documents, the couple, who married in June 2018, has been separated since July 24, 2026 . In the filing, Brittney Griner stated that the marriage is "irretrievably broken" with "no hope of reconciliation" .

The petition outlines requests for joint physical custody of their two-year-old son, Bash, whom they welcomed in 2024 . Brittney is also seeking an "equitable division" of all marital debts and assets, both real and personal, tangible and intangible . In a statement to the media, an attorney representing Brittney Griner said, "This is a matter we hope the parties can resolve privately. There is no further comment at this time" . Representatives for Cherelle Griner have not yet publicly responded to the filing .

Context of Their Relationship

The couple met as students at Baylor University, where Brittney Griner became one of the most decorated players in NCAA women's basketball history . They were married in June 2018 . Their relationship became a subject of intense public interest in 2022 when Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage . She was later convicted on drug charges and sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony .

Cherelle Griner, an attorney, emerged as a prominent and vocal advocate for her wife's release during the nearly 10-month detainment . She worked to keep pressure on U.S. officials and publicly expressed the emotional toll of the separation . In a May 2022 interview, she stated, "Every single day matters for me to be sound, for me to be alert, for me to be attentive, to make sure that she comes back" . Brittney Griner was ultimately freed in December 2022 as part of a high-profile prisoner swap negotiated by the Biden administration .

Following her return, the couple welcomed their son, Bash, in 2024 . Brittney Griner had previously spoken about the challenges of their separation during her imprisonment, revealing that she had given her wife "an out" from the marriage, but Cherelle refused, reassuring her that she would wait . This marks Brittney Griner's second divorce; she was previously married to former WNBA player Glory Johnson in 2015, a marriage that was annulled less than a month later .