Free Brittney Griner: LeBron James & More Show Support For WNBA Star Held In Russia Ahead Of Trial
The new ‘Free Brittney’ movement wants to bring Brittney Griner home after she’s been ‘wrongfully detained’ in Russia. Stars like LeBron James and Amy Schumer have joined to demand Brittney’s freedom.
Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia on Feb 17, 2022. Russian Federal Customs Service claimed they found g vape cartridges containing hashish oil, a banned substance in Russia, in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow. Brittney was in Russia to play for an international team during the WNBA’s off-season, and her arrest came less than a week before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Though her family and supporters first wanted to keep a low profile in hopes of a peaceful and quick resolution, that is no longer the case, and many have joined the new “Free Brittney” movement.
LeBron James, Lisa Rinna, and Amy Schumer were some of the first big-name celebrities calling on the United States to do something to free Brittney. Since her initial arrest, Brittney’s detainment has been extended multiple times, with a June hearing adding six more months to her stay in the country. In May, the U.S. state department classified Brittney as being “wrongfully detained,” meaning it would work more aggressively in securing her release. The Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, essential the U.S.’s chief hostage negotiator, is on the case.
Griner has been charged with large-scale transportation of drugs (again, she had vape cartridges in her luggage) and faces ten years in prison if convicted. This dire fate is why the following stars have voiced their support for her release.
![This is the booking photo of the voice of Disney’s Pocahontas, Irene Bedard, after she was arrested for disorderly conduct. The 55-year-old - best known for voicing the famous character in the 1995 animated movie - had to be separated from another woman by police in Greene County, Ohio, on August 19 after the pair were arguing and screaming. According to a police report, the women “walked out into the street screaming, without any regard for traffic”. Bedard had “a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath”, but insisted she had not been drinking that day. She told police she had drunk a bottle of vodka the day before. Bedard said the other woman, Sheila Johnson, had been trying to help her into her “studio”, but she was unable to find her keys. According to the police report, Beard’s “emotions changed rapidly”, going from calm to becoming upset and eventually crying. Police tried to move Bedard away from a large window as they feared she might shatter the glass, but when Johnson offered them a name to call on Bedard’s behalf the actress ran away screaming. She was booked for disorderly conduct and released on August 21. Bedard was arrested twice over a three-day period back in November 2020. *BYLINE: Greene County Sheriff’s Office/Pop Nation/TMX/Mega. 19 Aug 2022 Pictured: The booking photo of the voice of Disney’s Pocahontas, Irene Bedard, after she was arrested for disorderly conduct. *BYLINE: Greene County Sheriff’s Office/Pop Nation/TMX/Mega. Photo credit: GreeneCountySheriff/PopNationTMX / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA889083_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://develop.hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Celebrities-Arrested-In-2022-1.jpg?fit=192%2C240&resize=192%2C240)
![Tiger King star Doc Antle, real name Bhagavan Antle, has been arrested on alleged money laundering charges. The 62-year-old was booked in Horry County, in South Carolina on Friday (June 3) and is set to appear in court next week. Court documents show the arresting agency was the FBI. He is pictured here in his mugshot / booking photo. 04 Jun 2022 Pictured: Doc Antle / Bhagavan Antle mugshot booking photo. Photo credit: Horry County Sheriff/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA864896_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://develop.hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Doc-Antle-arrested-2022.jpg?fit=192%2C240&resize=192%2C240)
LeBron James
We need to come together and help do whatever we possibly can to bring BG home quickly and safely!! 🙏🏾 Our voice as athletes is stronger together. @uninterrupted 👑 #WeAreBG pic.twitter.com/2GWV3Ff81p
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 6, 2022
LeBron James tweeted his support for Brittney on June 5 on behalf of his company, Uninterrupted. “For over 100 days, BG has faced inhumane conditions in a Russian prison and has been denied communications with her family and loved ones. As a decorated Olympian and member of an elite global sports community, BG’s detention must be resolved out of respect for the sanctity of all sport and for all Americans traveling internationally,” he wrote.
“It is imperative that the U.S. Government immediately address this human rights issue and do whatever is necessary to return Brittney home,” he added. “Join us in demanding that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris bring Brittney home swiftly and safely by taking action today,” he continued, sharing a Change.org petition to “Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U.S.”
Kerry Washington
The world needs to be talking about #BrittneyGriner. Action NEEDS to be taken.
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) June 30, 2022
“The world needs to be talking about #BrittneyGriner,” Kerry Washington tweeted on June 30. “Action NEEDS to be taken.”
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer shared a screenshot of the photos of Brittney that were published in June. The pictures showed a wide-eyed Brittney being escorted by Russian police. “Let’s go, everybody. This is not okay. #freebrittneygriner now. All hands on deck. Make some noise,” wrote Amy.
Lisa Rinna
On Amy Schumer’s June 30 IG post in support of #FreeBrittneyGriner, Real Housewives star Lisa Rinna added her voice to the many supporting the WBNA star’s rescue. “Yes!!!!!” wrote Lisa. “We need to get her out of there, stat!!!!!!”
Cherelle Griner
Brittney’s wife, Cherelle Griner, broke her silence in May during an interview. “There is one person that can go get her, and that’s our President [Joe Biden],” she said in a tearful chat. “He has that power. I’m just like, ‘Why are we not using it? Like, urgently, use it.’ We’re expecting him to use his power to get it done.” In a second interview with Good Morning America, Cherelle echoed her sentiments. “I just keep hearing that, you know, he has the power. She’s a political pawn. So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it,” she said.