05/01/24 10:17:00
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05/01 22:15 CDT Brittney Griner says she thought about killing herself during
first few weeks in Russian jail
Brittney Griner says she thought about killing herself during first few weeks
in Russian jail
PHOENIX (AP) --- WNBA star Brittney Griner said she thought about killing
herself during her first few weeks in a Russian jail after her 2022 arrest on
drug-related charges.
Griner spoke for the first time about her monthslong detention in Russia during
an hourlong interview that aired Wednesday night on ABC. Her memoir, "Coming
Home," is set to be released on May 7.
Griner was detained after arriving at a Moscow airport after Russian
authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges allegedly
containing oil derived from cannabis.
"I wanted to take my life more than once in the first weeks," Griner told
interviewer Robin Roberts. "I felt like leaving here so badly."
She decided against it in part because she was afraid the Russian authorities
wouldn't release her body to her family.
Her plight unfolded at the same time Russia invaded Ukraine and further
heightened tensions between Russia and the U.S., ending only after she was
freed in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner said before she was released, she was forced to write a letter to
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"They made me write this letter. It was in Russian," she said. "I had to ask
for forgiveness and thanks from their so-called great leader. I didn't want to
do it, but at the same time I wanted to come home."
She was disappointed when she got on the plane for the trade and that Paul
Whelan, another American who has been detained in Russia, wasn't with her.
"I walked on and didn't see him, maybe he's next. Maybe they will bring him
next," she said. "They closed the door and I was like, are you serious? You're
not going to let this man come home now."
Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA season begins on May 14.
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