Cherelle Griner says Brittney Griner is ‘struggling’: ‘I will not be quiet anymore’

Cherelle Griner said in an interview early Tuesday that she will “not be quiet anymore” and that her wife, WNBA star Brittney Griner, “is struggling” while being detained in Russia.

“Initially, you know, I was told … we’re going to try and handle this behind [the] scenes and, you know, let’s not raise her value and, you know, stay quiet and, you know, I did that. And respectfully, we’re over 140 days at this point, that does not work, and so I will not be quiet anymore,” Cherelle Griner said on “CBS Mornings.”

“I will find that balance of, you know, harm versus help in pushing our government to do everything that’s possible because being quiet, they are not moving, they are not doing anything. And so my wife is struggling, and we have to help her,” she added. 

Cherelle Griner also spoke about a handwritten letter that was delivered to the White House on Monday in which the WNBA star urged President Biden not to forget about her and the other American detainees abroad.

“I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Brittney Griner told Biden.

Cherelle Griner said on Tuesday that she believes her wife reached out to Biden directly “because of the failed attempts that we have had as a family.”

“And it kills me every time that, you know, when I have to write her and she’s asking, you know, ‘Have you met with him yet?’ And, you know, I have to say ‘no,’ and she’s like, ‘You know what’ — I’m sure she was like, ‘I’m going to write him and ask now because, you know, my family has tried and to no avail, so I’m going to do it myself,’” Cherelle Griner said. 

Brittney Griner’s wife Cherelle says it is “very disheartening” that she still has not heard back from the White House — after Brittney penned a handwritten letter to Pres. Biden from a Russian prison pleading for help. pic.twitter.com/MTyQqCJIBj

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 5, 2022

Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for more than four months after hashish oil was allegedly found in her luggage by Russian authorities. Her trial began last week. 

“The U.S. government continues to work aggressively — using every available means — to bring her home,” Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a statement on Monday regarding the WNBA star’s letter.

“The President’s team is in regular contact with Brittney’s family and we will continue to work to support her family. National Security Advisor [Jake] Sullivan and Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken have spoken several times with Brittney’s wife in recent weeks and the White House is closely coordinating with the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, who has met with Brittney’s family, her teammates, and her support network,” Watson added. 

The Hill has reached out to the White House for further comment. 

Updated at 9:13 a.m.