This comes as a shock to many.
Brittney Griner has filed for divorce from her wife, Cherelle Griner, in Fulton County, according to court records first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The filing states that the marriage is “irretrievably broken” and lists July 24 as the date of separation.
Brittney Griner and Cherelle Griner met while they were both students at Baylor University. They have been married since 2019 and welcomed their first child, a son named Bash, in 2024. What seemed like the perfect queer couple, one that fans followed through some of the hardest years imaginable, came out the other side stronger.
Cherelle is a holistic attorney and community advocate who campaigned publicly for Brittney’s release during her 2022 imprisonment in Russia after cannabis oil cartridges were found in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Griner was sentenced to nine years before being freed in a prisoner exchange that December. During that period Cherelle spoke about their bond in an interview, describing her wife as “my person.”
The world watched.
A Black woman supporting her significant other in the depths of pain, distraught, but still having faith and strength was inspiring to witness.
Brittney posted a birthday tribute to her spouse Cherelle on July 1, wishing her a happy birthday, calling her the best mother and spouse, and expressing gratitude for every day and year together.
With so much public affection online and what looked like marital bliss, this one truly caught many off guard, as they were seen as a couple that had already been through the worst and come out unbreakable.
Griner is requesting joint legal and physical custody of their son, along with an equal split of marital assets. She also wants to keep any property she owned before the marriage or received through inheritance.
Neither has commented publicly, and their attorneys have not responded to requests for comment.
The 35-year-old center remains sidelined with a left knee injury, and the Connecticut Sun have not set a return date.
We wish Brittney and Cherelle all the best as they work through this chapter of their marriage.