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Brittney Griner has filed for divorce from her wife, Cherelle Griner, ending a marriage that endured one of the most high-profile international detentions in recent memory.
According to court records obtained by People, Griner filed for divorce Thursday (July 30) in Fulton County, Georgia. The filing states that the couple's marriage is "irretrievably broken" and notes they have been separated since July 24.
The couple, who married in June 2019 after meeting as students at Baylor University, share a 2-year-old son, Bash. Court records show Brittney Griner is seeking joint legal custody.
Neither Griner nor Cherelle has publicly commented on the filing.
The news marks the end of a relationship that drew national attention during Griner's nearly 10-month detention in Russia.
In February 2022, Griner was arrested at a Moscow-area airport after authorities said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. She was later convicted on drug charges and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Throughout Brittney's detention, Cherelle became one of her most outspoken advocates, making frequent media appearances, meeting with lawmakers and urging the Biden administration to secure her wife's release.
Griner returned to the United States in December 2022 after being designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. government and released in a high-profile prisoner exchange.
Shortly after Brittney's return, Cherelle reflected on finally being reunited with her wife.
"I had thought about that moment a thousand times, and I thought I would be full of tears," she told People in 2022. "But I was overwhelmingly happy. It was the first time I was able to finally exhale... 'Oh, thank God, this is such a great day.'"
The couple welcomed their son in 2024 and have largely kept their family life private since Griner's return to professional basketball.
The divorce filing does not specify the reason for the couple's separation, and the case remains pending.
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