In the airport. In russia. It was definitely a freefall. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. I was like, its over. Bg is no more in that moment. And i was deathly afraid. Wnba star Brittney Griner in her first cable interview since her imprisonment in a russian gulag. We talk about the fear, the sham trial, the letter she wrote to putin, how trump turned on her, and her joyful homecoming. And welcome to a Special Edition of the reidout. Interest in Womens Basketball is surging thanks to young talent and top rookies like kamilla cardoso, angel reese and caitlin clark. All of whom helped boost the wnbas star power, as well as draw attention to pay disparities in the league. But not too long ago, the world was fixated on one particular Basketball Star for an incident that occurred far from any american court. Back in february 2022, Brittney Griner, a wnba allstar and twotime olympic Gold Medalist was stopped at a Security Checkpoint at a moscow airport. Officials said they found Vape Canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner played basketball in russia during her offseason, something many wnba players do to supplement their league salaries. After being found guilty of Drug Smuggling and possession charges, griner was sentenced to nine years in a russian penal colony. Many feared how griner would be treated in russia as a black queer woman, and high profile american. Especially during a time when russia was invading ukraine. In the u. S. , griners wife Cherelle Griner lived a different nightmare in a perpetual state of waiting while becoming the public face to bring brittney known to her family and friends as bg, home. Seven months in Apenal Colony in russia, known for its harsh conditions, griner said she contemplated suicide, and has recently shared more details on the harrowing days. Being left outside in the frigid russian winter for hours, having to get permission to cut her frozen locs in prison. She was finally released on the tarmac in the United Arab Emirates in exchange for a russian arms dealer. Its been 17 months since her detention in russia. And in hr first Cable Television interview, we get to hear about the story from Brittney Griner herself. Brittney, thank you for being here. Thank you. I appreciate you being here to talk to me. Your book is so good. Its so poignant. It might have given me a nightmare or two, but its important that you told this story. Because it strikes me that only you could have been in the situation that you were in, for a lot of reasons. Were going to get into some of those. I pulled some quotes from your book that i want to read to you. Im going to read you to you. This is the first one that struck me, struck all of us on the team. And it says, fear takes many forms. Theres the kind you feel when life sneaks up from behind and frightens you half to death. Some people freeze. Others run. Im usually the one who fights like hell. When i saw those cartridges, not one but two, different types of fear shuddered through me. There was the instinct to fight, flee, or freeze. Instead, my body went into a major freefall, as if i stumbled off a cliff and plunged into the ocean. Talk to me about that moment when you realized that those cartridges had accidentally remained in your bag. In the airport, in russia. It was definitely a freefall. It was just like, you ever been so scared, like, something just really, like, to the core, not you know, a little ghost scare, but im talking really loved one in danger type fear. That feeling is what went through my whole body. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. I was like, its over. Bg is no more. In that moment, and i was deathly afraid. Were you sure then . Because you know, part of this story is the fact that you were a star in russia. You were on the team, the star of that team. Russian kids run up to you and want your autograph. Did part of you think, no no, theyre going let me go . There was a little hope but then at the same time, i also understand the relations between our countries. Im like, uhuh, thats not going to slide. And you talk about not just that but being forced to sign something. Now, you dont speak russian. Not at all. And no one there spoke english. They finally get somebody from dutyfree. Dutyfree store. To come over and try to translate. When you finally relented after being prodded and needled to sign this paper, what did you think you were signing . I had no idea what i was signing. I knew i was signing something that probably needed to be read to me. You know, my dads history in Law Enforcement and all that. So i knew this was something that needed to be explained to me. What am i by me signing this paper, what am i saying, what am i agreeing to . What rights am i giving up . It was none of that. Just a dutyfree worker who came over and said you sign here in very broken english. It wasnt even you have to sign this paper because this is giving up your rights or youre admitting to none of that. You played for seven years in russia. You know a Little Something about the country. You felt you had an affinity for the country. In that moment as youre thinking im going to be arrested, you write about your arrest and youre told youre going to be taken to the police station, a temporary detention center. Its like a county jail. So now you know, okay, not only are they arresting me, but im really going to be taken to jail. Yes. Did you think in that moment, i, Brittney Griner, am being taken to jail, or did you think in that moment, wait a minute, im a black, queer woman, in a country in which i am a super minority and not necessarily an embraced minority, and What In The World is that jail going to be like for me . I was terrified when i was thinking of going to that jail. I was thinking what game are they going to play, and i soon found out one of the games, trying to tell me to go to one of the mens cells. Im like, im not going in that cell. Then the other guard said something in russian, shook his hand. Then they take me to the womens side. I was just like, see, its a game. And i knew all that was stacked against me. Did you believe you were targeted deliberately, that people knew who you were, knew you were landing on that flight, and deliberately targeted you . I believe so, yes. I wholeheartedly believe that. The whole going through, doing the transfer, how i was singled out to come over when theres a flood of people walking through, not being scanned. Things not getting searched. And i saw the people, there was a tip, something, they knew i was coming through. When you got to the jail, you write a lot about the isolation of being in a cell alone. You write about the pain of the ride. You are a tall, tall person. 69 . 69. Trying to fit into a car where theyre not concerned about your physical health and your physical safety. I wonder if you think that the people in that jail knew who you were and decided they were then going to further target you, the bullying. It was striking to see that to see you write about the way that you were sort of made a spectacle. Turned into a spectacle. Yes. In your mind, was it simply your identity or do they think we know who this is, were going to mock her . I would hear things like the american, the basketball american. I would see the little hole where they could see you, they would lift that up all the time, all hours of the night. I would hear it go up and down and snickering and the laughing, and im like, okay, im the zoo animal today. Im the zoo animal they get to come see. I think one of the most tragic things about the narrative that you wrote is that, you know, you write about that not being the first time you felt that way. Mmhmm. You write about being always the tallest. About always being different. Even growing up. Yeah. And so it strikes me as doubly tragic to feel as you said like the zoo animal when for you, other than playing basketball and sports getting you out of that feeling just growing up, talk a little bit about that. Definitely i always felt like i was the outsider. I vividly remember sixth, seventh grade, another girl literally came up to me, touched my whole chest and was like, see, shes not shes not a girl. Like the ooh, look how different you are. And i have always felt that. I mean, i am different. When i walk in a room, people notice how different i am. It took me a little bit, but i embraced it. That moment being in that prison and how they were treating me, it took me back to that spectacle of my childhood. I mean, even to the point of essentially threatening to put you in the madhouse. Trying to force you to admit youre a drug addict, using all of the stereotypes of a black person, you must be a drug adktd, asking when did you decide you were gay, and trying to sort of, you know, needle you in that way. It was so crazy. I was like, i didnt decide that i was gay. Like, i knew this. And when i said it and it was translated to them, you could see their faces like, what, no, thats not right. When did you choose . When did you start having sick thoughts . I said, i never started having sick thoughts. And then being told that theyre going to throw me in basically the madhouse if i didnt admit to my guilt. Take me back before that. Because you had to have obviously developed some skills growing up in dealing with bullying, and as somebody who has dealt with a little bullying and understands that on some level as well, sports and athletics does help a lot. It does. If gives you something for people to focus on, being a class clown a little bit. You write about making people laugh with you rather than at you. Talk about some of the skills you had to develop growing up in order to deal with that. Getting a thick skin, i definitely developed a thick skin going through all that. When i found sports, it gave me a purpose. Instead of acting out and trying to get people to like me, i was able to channel that into my performance on the court. And it was crazy. I always talk about, i became popular when i started playing basketball. Now, i can be accepted because im doing this cool thing on the court, but when i really felt the acceptance is when they got to know me and they were like, bg, youre really cool. Like, oh, or like i can relate to you more. And thats when i really felt the genuine, like, acceptance. I felt it a little bit, of course. Im young and felt the stardom a little bit. Like finally, but it wasnt finally until they got to know me. Then you found love. I did. Cherelle, because the other thing that obviously got you through really what was torment and being tormented, and in this case by yourself, before you had anyone with you, it was cherelle, her faith, and it was knowing that she was there that got you through it. But initially, you desperately were trying to get in touch with her. You desperately were sending these text message. Pick up the phone. It was 2 00 in the morning. Talk about being without her in that moment. I was searching for her so hard. I was sending message, calling, message, but it was the wee hours. I did this flight so many times that she was probably she was still asleep and waiting for me to be on my next flight. When i finally got to her, it was a little bit of a relief because i know someone that loves me knows exactly whats going on, where im at. She can start rallying the troops to figure out the next course of action, plan. I was lost. I really didnt understand. I really didnt know what to do next. I knew to just be quiet and wait for legal representation. But other than that, i really needed her. Let me read a little more of your book. And you write this, it was relles strength that i borrowed when mine ran out. I wanted to tack my life more than once in those first weeks. I didnt care anymore if there was an after life. I just wanted that one to be over. Suicide would have been easy. I couldnt put my family through that nightmare and i especially couldnt do that to my mama. That and relles faith are what kept me there. I note you write a lot about faith. Not just cherelles faith, but the faith that you developed over time. Yeah. Tell me a little more about that, because i think for a lot of people, people might be surprised that you could develop a strong faith, not only because of the situation, but because in this country, people who claim to be christians, and i will say claim to be christians, are not normally affirming of someone like you. So how did you find faith in that moment . It was a journey. It was a journey and it was hard, but you know, my dad would always tell me and relle, her faith was so strong when we first met, to allow god, trust in god. And you know, turn it over to him. In that moment, i had to do that. I had to rely on all those things. I had to turn it over to him because it was literally out of everybodys hands at that moment. And thats what got me through, you know, my faith and my family. If i would have did that, i just knew it was going to be bad. I knew it was going to be bad. Who knows . If they were going to release my body, if they were going to hold on to it. I couldnt put my wife or my family through that. Up next, how russias war on ukraine changed everything about Brittney Griners legal situation. The reidout continues after this. Long lasting relief in a scent free, gentle mist. Flonase all good. Also, try our Allergy Headache and nighttime pills. Lets get the rest of these plants in. Organic soil from miraclegro has grown me the best garden i have ever had. Good soil, and you get good results. This soil will blow you away. Its the Martha Stewart of soil. Power e trades easytouse tools, like dynamic charting and riskreward analysis, help make trading feel effortless. And its customizable scans with social sentiment help you find and unlock opportunities in the market. E trade from Morgan Stanley back now with more of my exclusive interview with Brittney Griner. So you spend valentines day with your wife. Mmhmm. And then you get on a plane with those cartridges that you didnt realize were in there. You get arrested. Ten days later, russia invades ukraine. Mmhmm. How did the invasion change what you understood to be a re because any hope that you were going to be able to get out of this, the ukraine war changed it. That changed everything. Any sliver of hope i had that we could come to some kind of agreement or, you know, a trade or something quietly, that all went out the window. When they invaded, i knew that was another moment that whoosh feeling, that sunken just its all over. I was like, this is it. Theres no way now. And how long do wars take . They take forever sometimes. And theyre still going on. And i was like, well, i need to get prepared for the long haul. Because this is going to be a very long time. You wrote a chapter called putins pawn. Did you get the immediate sense once you had russian lawyers, one of whom you became very close to, did it become clear to you and to them that putin was going to use you . Oh, yes. 100 . I mean, the few times that i would get the guards to Say Something to me when im like, where am i going . Am i the only one in the cell . I knew that The American Basketball Player had to be by themselves. Im like, this is weird. Because normally, you go into the holding tank with everyone else. Youre in a cell. You dont have a room to yourself in the beginning. Youre with a lot of people. I already knew there were Little Things going on. Then the checkins. The top guard was always there. The warden, the Deputy Warden was always there. I knew that there was some special treatment, lets keep her good for right now for later on. Yeah. You eventually wrote to your dad. And your mom. You wrote that the letter that you received back from your mom broke you, but it was your dads letter that really, it was hardest to write to him. Yes. Im going to read a little bit of what he wrote to you. You still have a daddy and always will. I have always been there for you and i will be there for you when no one else is. Youre still my baby no matter how old you are or how tall you get. I pray for you every day, for your health and to return home. Everything will work out. Take care of yourself and do what they ask of you. Im glad you got another bed. You needed a bid you could fit in with your height. I hope youre getting sleep now. I know youre probably getting tired of answering so many letters. Remember, i love you and always will. No matter where you are, nothing and nobody can change that. Your dad and mom are with you for life. Please dont ever forget that. Love you, dad. Talk about your relationship with your dad. Me and my dads relationship, its complex. Some people dont really understand it, but thats my hero. You know, it was hard for him, probably, you know raising a child like me. A little different than the average. But hes legit my hero. Hes done everything for me, my career, when i first started off. Like when i was younger, taking me everywhere. There was never, oh, im going to send you with the team mom. No, my dad was with me always. He drove me to every basketball tournament. So for me, my biggest thing was, i didnt want to bring shame to our last name. And you know, he wrote me and told me that i would never do that. And that was a hard moment for me because i still to this day feel like i did. And that was hard. That was really hard for me. Why do you feel that . I sense that throughout the book. Yeah. That you blame yourself for this throughout the book. I didnt get the sense that you stopped doing that. But why do you feel that . You take ownership of what happens. Regardless if you meant to do it, not meant to, you didnt mean to do it, you take ownership. Thats something my dad instilled in me and something ill always have regardless of the situation. I still say its my fault. And i feel like i brought a tarnish to our last name a little bit. And everyone tells me, have grace. Give yourself grace. Its so hard to give yourself grace. Someone like me. Im going to tell you the same thing. Because you have got to understand that this was not your fault. Like, it wasnt. You didnt mean to do it. You packed quickly. As somebody who packs quickly, it wasnt your fault. Your mom, who calls you lady bug, which i love. One of my favorite things. Oh, my god. You put it in the book so i get to talk about, wa