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WNBA star Brittney Griner believes her new documentary about her imprisonment in Russia is comparable to the current situation in the United States.
As ICE agents crack down on immigration in major cities across the country, Griner told The Hollywood Reporter she hopes her documentary 30 for 30, which will premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Tuesday night and air later this year on ESPN, will “shed some light” on what the country could become “if we continue to let this happen.”
“Right now we’re in a really bad situation, especially with everything that’s going on in Minnesota and across our country,” Griner told the outlet. “I definitely think people will understand a little better now and be able to make comparisons.”
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Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) grabs a rebound in front of Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner, right, during the second half in Arlington, Texas on June 9, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Titled “The Brittney Griner Story,” Alexandria Stapleton’s documentary will show what Griner experienced during her 10 months as a Russian prisoner, which included time in a penal colony known for its brutal conditions.
Stapleton also agrees with Griner’s take on the film.
“When we started, a lot of the history of BG was still very foreign,” Stapleton added. “And now to see it again and be in the middle of everything exploding in Minnesota and all over the United States, it’s crazy. I hope people can look at this story and see it as a cautionary tale…it almost gives people some sense.
BRITTNEY GRINER REVEALS DISTURBING TRUTH ABOUT CRIMES ON HER SIDE OF RUSSIAN PRISON CELL: ‘DID NOT REALLY SLEEP’
“I hope this film can make a change.”
Griner, 35, added: “I hope people understand, ‘When we come together, we can stop what’s happening.’ We can change what is currently happening in our country. »
The documentary will show Griner’s upbringing and his relationship with his wife Cherelle. And while her time at Baylor and in the WNBA will be featured, her seven years playing in Russia until her arrest take center stage.
Griner spoke about her life in the Russian detention center, including horrific details about what landed one of her fellow inmates in prison.
Griner made an appearance on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast last year, and the Atlanta Dream star opened up about his time in prison. During this conversation, Griner explained how inmates were not separated based on the crimes they committed. So even though she said most inmates were in prison because of murder or drugs, one of her first cellmates was there for a nefarious reason.
Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury speaks to the media on April 27, 2023, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
“I had a cellmate at the very beginning. I thought there was something wrong with her,” Griner said. “She acted like a child, but she was a grown woman. But she really acted like a teenager. And then she had burn marks everywhere, and I found out after the fact that she was selling videos online of her husband and her child – together. And that’s who they put me in a cell with.
“The mattress had a huge blood stain on it. I had no soap, no toilet paper. That’s when I felt less than human,” Griner added during an interview with ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in 2024.
Griner was arrested after realizing she had left vape cartridges in her luggage at a Russian airport in February 2022 while playing basketball abroad. She was then transferred to the Russian penal colony located around 300 miles from Moscow after being sentenced to nine years in prison.
Griner served 10 months before being released in a prisoner exchange. As part of the documentary, former President Joe Biden gave an interview in which he said he was emotional about trying to make a deal for Griner after Cherelle and Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s longtime manager, met with him for more than two hours at the White House, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Griner adds that Biden was “definitely a personal hero of mine” after negotiating his release in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as the “dealer of death,” on December 8, 2022.
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner questions a call during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, June 9, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
At the time, some were furious that Griner was released while Marine veteran Paul Whelan, also imprisoned at the time, was not. The documentary notes that Griner went out of his way to write a letter to Biden requesting Whelan’s release, among others, according to the outlet.
“I’m human, and sometimes it annoys me, it makes me want to say something,” Griner added. “But, at the same time, a lot of these people are just looking to get noticed in their mediocre lives, and they need a response from me or the person they’re attacking to feel important, because they want to get their two seconds of fame. I try to do a good job of ignoring it.”
Griner will begin her 13th WNBA season this year. The nine-time All-Star and six-time All-WNBA selection finished her first year with the Dream after spending 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury. She was unable to play in 2022 due to her detention in Russia.
