Brittney Griner is opening up about her time being incarcerated while in Russia.
The WNBA star, who is getting ready to release her memoir, “Coming Home,” revisits one of her life’s most painful times in her upcoming interview with Robin Roberts. We reported that in February 2022, Griner was detained in Russia after being stopped at a Moscow airport for having vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage.
After a two-week trial, she was found guilty of drug possession and drug smuggling and sentenced to nine years in prison. Her sentence began in December 2022, at a Russian labor camp, however, she was released after the U.S. negotiated a prisoner exchange.
Griner has not been shy about speaking the situation, however, she never opened up about the emotional toll it took on her. In her interview, she revealed that she had suicidal thoughts, and stated that she wanted to do whatever it took for her to survive. “I didn’t think I could get through what I needed to get through.”
She also talks about the conditions she faced while detained and even mentioned that the mattress she was given had blood stains on it and that she had no access to soap and a toilet. “That was the moment where I just felt less than a human,” she recalled.
Brittney Griner and wife, Cherelle Griner recently revealed that they are expecting their first child together. Brittney is set to return to the WNBA for her 11th season and has recevied an overwhelming amount of love and support from fans.
Her interview, “Prisoner in Russia: The Brittney Griner Interview with Robin Roberts,” will premiere on Wednesday May, 1 at 10 p.m. on ABC.