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WNBA star Brittney Griner believes her new documentary about her time imprisoned in Russia compares 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 that he hopes his documentary 30 for 30, which premieres at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday night and will air later this year on ESPN, “sheds some light” on what the country could become “if we keep allowing this to happen.”
“Right now, we’re in a very bad place, 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 more now and be able to see some 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 went through 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 point of view on the film.
“When we started, a lot of the BG story was still very strange,” Stapleton added. “And now to see it again and be in the middle of everything that’s blowing up in Minnesota and all over America, it’s crazy. I hope people can look at this story and see it as a warning…almost bring people to their senses.
BRITTNEY GRINER REVEALS THE DISTURBING TRUTH ABOUT HER RUSSIAN PRISON CELLMATE’S CRIMES: ‘I DIDN’T REALLY SLEEP’
“Hopefully, this can be a movie that can make a difference.”
Griner, 35, added: “I hope people understand that ‘when we come together, we can stop what’s happening.'” “We can change what is happening now in our country.”
The documentary will show Griner’s upbringing and his relationship with his wife Cherelle. And while her time at Baylor and the WNBA will be featured, her seven years playing in Russia before her arrest take center stage.
Griner talked about what his life was like in the Russian detention center, which included some horrifying details about what landed one of his cellmates in prison.
Griner appeared on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast last year, and the Atlanta Dream star opened up about his time in prison. During that conversation, Griner explained how inmates were not separated based on the crimes they committed. So while he said most inmates were in prison for murder or drugs, one of his 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)
“At first I had a cellmate. I thought something was wrong with her,” Griner said. “She acted like a child, but she was a grown woman. But she acted very much like a teenage girl. And then she had burn marks all over her skin, and then I found out she was selling videos online of her husband and her son, together. And with that they had me in a cell.
“The mattress had a huge blood stain on it. There was no soap or toilet paper on it. That was the moment I felt less than a human being,” 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 later transferred to the Russian penal colony about 300 miles from Moscow after receiving a nine-year prison sentence.
Griner served 10 months before being released as part of a prisoner exchange. As part of the documentary, former President Joe Biden gave an interview in which he said he was moved to try to reach a deal for Griner after Cherelle and Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s former 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 to me” after he negotiated his release in exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as the “Merchant 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, on June 9, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
At the time, some were furious that Griner was released while Navy 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 asking for Whelan’s release, among other things, according to the outlet.
“I’m human and sometimes it makes me nervous, it makes me want to say something,” Griner added. “But at the same time, a lot of these people are just trying to get noticed in their mediocre lives, and they need a response from me or whoever 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 enter her 13th season in the WNBA this year. The nine-time All-Star and six-time All-WNBA finished her first year with the Dream after spending 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury. He was unable to play in 2022 due to his arrest in Russia.
