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Dennis Rodman isn’t a judge, but he uses all his power and influence to get Brittney Griner out of a Russian jail. In a recent interview, the former basketball player said he’s planning to go to Russia; however, he never explained how he would make it happen.
The 61-years-old icon also revealed that he is approved to fly to Russia and negotiate the release. “I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” he explained to NBC News on Saturday, August 20. “I’m trying to go this week.”
© GettyImagesDespite Rodman’s claims, Hollywood Life reported that an official for President Joe Biden told NBC News that they made “a significant offer,” and Dennis’s involvement may hurt Brittney’s chances of being released. “Anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts,” they said.
According to CNN, the Biden administration offered Russia to Brittney back home in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison.
The former Chicago Bulls player is also a good friend of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, but it is unknown whether he has a friendship with Vladimir Putin.
The 31-year-old WNBA player is serving nine years in prison after traveling to Russia with a prohibited substance. After she was found guilty on August 4, her lawyer Maria Blagovolina told People her client was having a hard time. “She’s devastated. She is very upset, and she’s honestly quite shocked, so she needs to digest what happened today,” she said.
© GettyImagesGriner was arrested in February after officials found cannabis oil in her luggage. In Griner’s statement, provided by Reuters, she says she committed an honest mistake and “had no intent on breaking any Russians laws.”
The world was shocked by the court’s decision, believing that the harsh punishment is linked with the rising tensions between Russia and the US as the war on Ukraine persists. Celebrities reacted to the verdict, spreading the news and calling on the US government to act and stand up for Griner.
Justin Bieber shared a statement on his Instagram stories. “This hurts,” he wrote. “If anyone knows of any way I can help please let me know.” Jada Pinkett Smith shared the news on her Instagram, discussing two of the biggest news of the day: the arrest of the officers responsible for the death of Breonna Taylor and Griner’s Russian sentence. “On the same day where we finally got some justice for Breonna… I find out that Brittney Griner just got 9 years in Russia.”
In The Daily Show, Trevor Noah didn’t hold back on his criticisms of Russia, calling Griner’s imprisonment “bulls--t.”
“We all know Russia doesn’t care about what Brittney Griner did,” Noah said. “This is the same country that’s breaking every human rights law on the planet, but they’re like, ‘That woman has vape cartridge. She’s real criminal.‘”
