Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, gave a heartfelt speech on Thursday morning from the White House as she joined President Biden in announcing the WNBA star’s release from Russian custody. The 29-year-old thanked Biden and the “many hands involved” behind the scenes that helped to get Brittney back to the U.S. after spending 294 days behind bars.
But Cherelle’s journey doesn’t end here. During her speech, she affirmed that after having gone through a tumultuous road to get her wife back, Cherelle and her partner plan to help those who remain in captivity, such as businessman Paul Whelan, who has been serving out his 16-year prison sentence at a Russian prison since 2020 following his arrest two years prior for allegedly “spying.”
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“B.G. is not here to say this,” Cherelle added. “But I will gladly speak on her behalf to say B.G. and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today as we celebrate B.G. being home. We do understand that there are still people out here who are enduring what I endure the last nine months of missing tremendously their loved ones.”
The family of Paul said on Thursday that they were informed about Brittney’s release before the news broke as they continue to remain hopeful that they, too, will be able to rejoice upon being reunited with their loved one.
Paul’s brother, David, said he could only imagine the joy that Cherelle must have been feeling once she learned that her wife had been released and was on her way back to U.S. soil — particularly since her freedom comes just right before the Christmas holidays.
“That early warning meant that our family has been able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us. And a catastrophe for Paul,” he continued in his statement. “It is so important to me that it is clear that we do not begrudge Ms. Griner her freedom. As I have often remarked, Brittney’s and Paul’s cases were never really intertwined. It has always been a strong possibility that one might be freed without the other.”
Paul’s charges were centered around espionage, an accusation that both he and the U.S. government have vehemently denied. In a previous interview with CNN, Paul described the agony in feeling like there haven’t been any additional steps taken to secure his freedom as he reminded the publication that he’d been locked up for almost four years at the time of the chat. “I was arrested for a crime that never occurred,” the former Marine retorted.