Brittney Griner is back in the headlines after filing for divorce from her wife, Cherelle Griner, following nearly eight years of marriage. According to court documents obtained by Page Six, the Connecticut Sun center described the marriage as “irretrievably broken,” and is seeking joint legal custody of their 2-year-old son, Bash.
The latest split has also renewed interest in Griner's first marriage to fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson, which ended after just weeks.
Also Read: Brittney Griner's divorce bombshell: All on Connecticut Sun center's family, wife and 2-year-old son
Who is Glory Johnson?
Glory Johnson is a former WNBA star who was briefly married to Brittney Griner before their relationship fell apart in a very public and messy split. The 32-year-old later opened up about how her marriage to the Phoenix Mercury star turned south within less than a month of their wedding, as per Essentially Sports. Johnson also claimed she had never been with women before and didn't think of herself as gay, despite agreeing to marry Griner.
Griner and Johnson announced their engagement in 2014. In April 2015, police had to visit the couple's Arizona home after a domestic violence call and both women sustained minor injuries following a physical fight, according to Essentially Sports. Both were also suspended for seven games by the WNBA following their arrests after the fight at their Arizona home on April 22, as per reports.
How the marriage fell apart
Despite the domestic violence incident, the couple reconciled and got married a few weeks later in May. In June, they announced Johnson was expecting via IVF. The very next day, Griner filed for an annulment, less than a month into the marriage.
Johnson later said she married Griner purely out of love, regardless of her own orientation. "It wasn't about other people. It was about us," she said, as per Essentially Sports. She also said she felt betrayed by how differently things turned out compared to what she'd been promised. “You can call me stupid for believing her, but I trusted this person,” Johnson said.
The relationship also soured further when Griner pleaded guilty to the domestic violence charges against her, while Johnson did not. Griner had to complete 26 weeks of counseling as a result. Johnson gave birth to twins prematurely in October that year and claimed Griner denied being involved in the IVF process, leaving her to deal with serious financial hardship. Their divorce was finalized in June 2016, per Essentially Sports.
According to People, in her original court filing, Griner cited "fraudulent statements" by Johnson and said she was pressured to marry "under duress."
In papers filed July 13, 2015, Griner also claimed she'd discovered Johnson had a sexual relationship with a man before their engagement, and continued texting an ex-boyfriend even after the engagement. The documents noted Griner had left those details out of her initial filing to protect the couple's privacy, as per USA Today.
Johnson, meanwhile, filed her own papers seeking temporary spousal support and attorney's fees from Griner, according to ESPN. Court documents filed June 29 in Maricopa County, Arizona, showed Johnson asked for $20,000 a month in spousal support, plus a $10,000 advance toward her attorney's fees, per ESPN.
The annulment request was denied in August and the two remained legally married for a period.
About their kids
Johnson gave birth to twin girls, Ava Simone and Solei Diem, on October 12, 2015, months earlier than their original February 2016 due date, as per People. She announced the news on Instagram, writing, "Babies Ava Simone & Solei Diem arrived on Monday! Born a little earlier than expected, I have no worries because these babies are fighters just like I am." She added, "We all know God makes NO mistakes and by his grace, everything will work out for the greater good. We will continue to trust God as they are in his hands. Continue to keep us lifted because there is sooo much power in PRAYER!!!"
Each twin weighed 1 lb. 7 oz. at birth, per People.
Additionally, Brittney Griner was later detained in Russia in 2022 over vape cartridges and cannabis oil found in her luggage and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony, per Essentially Sports. She was freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow in December 2022.