Brittney Griner Files for Divorce From Wife Cherelle After Seven Years of Marriage

Brittney Griner has filed for divorce from her wife, Cherelle Griner, ending a marriage that endured one of the most high-profile international ordeals in recent sports history. Court records obtained from Fulton County, Georgia, show the WNBA star filed the petition Thursday, July 30, calling the marriage “irretrievably broken” after the couple separated on July 24.

The 35-year-old Connecticut Sun center and Cherelle met as students at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and married in June 2018. Their relationship became a national story in late 2022, when Cherelle led a public campaign pressing the U.S. government to secure Brittney’s release after she was detained in Russia for nearly ten months on drug charges. That advocacy turned Cherelle into a recognizable figure in her own right, including a widely covered meeting with President Biden and a prime speaking slot at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. The couple share a two-year-old son, Bash, and Brittney is seeking joint legal custody in the filing.

What the Filing Says

According to court documents, Brittney is listed as the petitioner in the case, which does not specify a reason for the split beyond the standard “irretrievably broken” language used in Georgia no-fault filings. Neither Brittney nor Cherelle has issued a public statement since the filing became public. The case remains pending in Fulton County, and no hearing date has been reported yet.

The timeline places the couple’s separation just weeks before the seven-year anniversary of their wedding. Griner is in the middle of her first season back with the Connecticut Sun after signing a one-year deal in April, wearing No. 42 as one of the WNBA’s most recognizable centers and shot-blockers. She also joined Vinyl BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season, adding another layer to an already packed year on the court while her personal life shifted behind the scenes.

A Marriage Forged Under Extreme Pressure

Few sports marriages have played out under the scrutiny this one did. Brittney was detained in Russia in February 2022 while playing overseas during the WNBA offseason, and was ultimately sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony on charges her supporters called politically motivated. Cherelle spent the better part of a year as the face of the effort to bring her home, meeting with State Department officials and keeping the case in the national spotlight until a prisoner swap secured Brittney’s release in December 2022.

That chapter made the couple’s bond a symbol of resilience for many fans, which is part of why Thursday’s filing landed as such a jolt across sports and entertainment media alike. Brittney has continued her career at a high level since returning, while Cherelle has built her own public profile through advocacy work and media appearances tied to her wife’s ordeal. For fans following the WNBA offseason storylines and roster movement — including how teams like the Sun are shaping their rosters around veterans such as Griner — live NBA odds and coverage remain a useful reference point as the league’s crossover moments with players like Griner keep drawing attention beyond the box score.

What Happens Next

Divorce proceedings involving joint custody of a young child typically move through mediation before any court hearing, and Georgia law does not require public disclosure of settlement terms unless a dispute reaches trial. Given neither party has commented, it’s unclear whether the case will be resolved quietly or become a more extended legal process.

For now, Griner remains focused on basketball, splitting time between the Sun’s WNBA season and her Unrivaled commitments with Vinyl BC. Her on-court routine hasn’t changed — she remains one of the league’s most physically dominant post players — but the personal news adds a new layer to a season that was already drawing attention for her return to Connecticut. Cherelle, who built a public identity around fighting for her wife’s freedom, now finds herself at the center of a very different kind of headline, one with no clear resolution date and no public statement yet from either side.