December 18, 2025 • 23 mins
In this intimate My Legacy Bonus Drop, WNBA star Brittney Griner joins her wife, attorney Cherelle Griner, to share the story behind their love, their survival, and their faith. From a college milkshake to global headlines, they open up about what it takes to stay grounded through it all.
Together they share:
- Why faith and therapy are essential for lasting strength
- How to protect peace in a world that misunderstands you
- What it takes to show up fully—in love and in parenting
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is my legacy. In this week's bonus drop, WNBA
superstar Britney Griner and her wife Cherrelle opened up about
a love story that started with a chocolate milkshake mishap
and grew into something unshakable. They get real about the
public scrutiny, ruts, and counseling after Britney's two hundred and
ninety three days in a Russian prison. From navigating trauma
(00:24):
and finding their footing again to becoming parents and rediscovering joy,
their story is a testament to how love restores what
the world tries to break.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Let's jump in, Kurrell.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
You and Brittany have been married for seven years, but
you first met back in college.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah, we want to hear about the love story, how
it all began. We met and went twenty eleven in college.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
We have this they call it the sub This is
student union building at Baylor. And I'm really studious at
the time. I know I want to be an attorney.
I mean, I have a minor and a major, so
I'm I really am just like on.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
A really strict schedule.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
I work two jobs in undergrad and so I don't
have time to waste. So my day is pretty much
the same every day. And so I go in the
student union building right before I go to my English class,
and I just wanted to get a chocolate milkshake kind
of hold me over and so I can actually get lunch.
I go order milkshake and I'm waiting in line, like
you know, all the other students, and Brittany walks in
(01:32):
and she does not go to a line at all.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
She walks in and everybody's just like hey, Beige.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
And when I say everybody, I mean all of the workers,
because Beg's the type of person she's gonna walk in
a room and it doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Who you are, she's gonna say, how do you?
Speaker 5 (01:46):
And so everybody in there knew her, from the janitor
to the people that work behind the registers, to everybody
that makes the food, the cooks, everyone. So she walks
in and it is like a party, like no one's talking.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
To them, you know. But BG walks in and everybody's.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Like hey, they're coming out from the back, and I'm
just standing there like, okay, keep working, guys, Like class,
my milkshake.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
I have to get to class.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
So I'm standing there and I'm like all right, like
let's meet this up and out of nowhere, one of
them walks from the back with a milkshake in hand.
It is a chocolate milkshake because my eyes work and
I'm watching my milkshake be made right.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
And so they come out from the back and they're
just like, oh, Beg, we got to shake for you.
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Someone comes out from Chick Filanta like, Beg, we got
some nuggets for you, like, and everybody's just coming out
throwing her food.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
She's ordered nothing. So I'm like, this is wild.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
And so at that point, I was like, I have
time to wait for another one, like this is unfair injustice, Like,
let me handle this. So so I walk up to Veg,
who I've never met in my life. She's huge tall,
I'm really sure, and so like I tap her on
the back of her shoulder and she turns around, looks
down and like it's like huh, and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Hey, I'm pretty sure they just gave you my milkshake.
I'm like, and I have to get to class.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
I'm like so, and she was just like she could
have been mean, but she was actually extremely nice.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
She was like, wait, this went oh, I'm so sorry,
and she.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Handed it to me, and I was like, oh my god,
now I probably look like a little jerk down here,
you know, And so I was like, you should make
a joke light in the mood.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
So I was just like, do you remember my name?
And but she was like yeah, of course, yeah, yeah, yeah,
like she's personal. So she's really trying to sell it
that we've met. And so I was like, well, what
is it and she was like, ah, you got me.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
She was like, if you say it again, I won't
forget it. And I was like, my name is Schrel.
I was like, we haven't met. I was like, but
I just had to light this up a little.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Bit because I was like, I don't want to look rude.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
I was like, but I did eat that milkshake and
she was like, no, that's good. She was like, I
will never forget your name now. She was like that
was real good. And I walked out, paid for my
shake and left and after that I never thought we'd.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
You know, cross paths again, but like she was hooked
guys and stuff. I just started asking everybody who.
Speaker 6 (04:01):
I was all around campus. I'm asking everybody like who
is Schrell? Who is who is this girl? Who's the
no one could tell me who she was. I'm even
more intrigued, like I'm like, wait, somebody at campus and
no one knows who they are, like what? And she
was that nice, that polite. I was like, oh, I
gotta find her.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
Yeah, yeah, And so that's how we met. But she
after asking everybody, no one knew at that point. She's like,
this little girl will definitely be back in this sub
union building, right, and so she just sat outside the
stupp Uton building around the same time. I kid you not,
I can never go to that sub at that time,
and not going into BG.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
She was always there every.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Day and she would like, yell my name and I
do not like attention, okay, Like I am in and
out type of girl.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And did you a young like Cherrelle? Is that you?
Hey Cherrell? Across campus? She wouldn't wait for me to
come up and say hi. She would do it a
minute she saw.
Speaker 6 (04:54):
I'm yelling across the campus. Because she actually dressed like
I was. I was that athlete, that kind of just
athletic where until the teacher said, hey, dress up, you
know you got a presentation. She dressed up every single day,
like to the tea business casual, looked amazing, like respectfully,
like everything was just amazing, and so I would yell out,
you look really nice today.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I love your scar.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
I'm not gonna stop until you say hi. And she
would be like she would give me like a quick
little like oh my god, like hi, I stop, and I'd.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Be like, okay.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
I was so one tracked mine at that time, Like
I was just like I can't afford to be a Baylor.
I'm on a scholarship her, I just gotta do this
anymore anything, you know, Like I just wasn't into that
type of stuff.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
And so I didn't know who she was.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
I just knew she was athlete, and they have a stereotype,
you know, and so I was just like, no, like,
you know, we're not the same. And so after what
maybe like two weeks, she realized our English class was
beside each other.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
She started going to English class. Go to kids go
to go to class. Kids started going to English class.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
But before she ago, she would always come inside my
classroom next door and say hi, share.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
And my professor would be like, you know Brittany Grinder,
And I'm like, no, I don't you do know Brittany
grand And like and Britney's at.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
The door like hi, shar High and I would say hi,
and that would be it.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Like we finally were friends at that point because I
was like, this has to.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Do you have matching tattoos? We do, okay, we got
like two.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
This one in Russia. Actually we did get.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
This put up and tell us about that.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
So I lived in Russia for a year with right
after I used to be a teacher and so I
knew I was going to law school and I got accepted,
and that's when BG was like we should date again,
Like please, I don't want to be a friend anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
She wanted to be out of the friend zone.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
I was like, I can't do friend anymore. And so
I was like, well, you know what, They'll let me
defer a year. And so I deferred law school for
a year actually, and I didn't work to do anything
because Big.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Was like, just don't work, don't do anything.
Speaker 5 (07:02):
You just got done teaching in a real career, Like
take a year off and just come with me for
the year. And so I lived in Russia with her
like and just relaxed for the year before I actually
started law school.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
And so were you thinking, I mean obviously, what do
you think about Russia at that point? And what do
you look back at things?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I mean, to be very honest, like.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Life grows you up, it makes you see things in
a different lens. Yes, and so if I just go
back to the lens that I naively used to wear
before Big was wrongfully detained, because I didn't know that
that was a world in my mind that only happens
in movies.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Okay, it was amazing, like and so we went over there.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
It was I love seeing different cultures. I love being
immersed in them. They treated them better than they treated
them in the US as professional women athletes who play basketball.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
So it was.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
When I say, like the treatment that NBA players get here,
that's what w NBA players get there. And so it
was actually like an upclass to me, like from what
we experienced in the States when it comes to basketball.
And so I loved it. I enjoyed my time there,
and we have fun there, like I mean, yeah, and
(08:22):
but I didn't know about their It's crazy to think
this because I am an attorney, but I did know
about their judicial system. I actually it didn't matter to me,
So I just didn't bother to realize that we were
actually going into a really dangerous country. I had no
(08:42):
idea like that never crossed my mind. But I'll tell
you this, I'll never travel somewhere and not know who
runs that country and what I'm dealing with.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
This actually places that I think are beautiful that I
don't want to go to anymore.
Speaker 7 (08:54):
And I assume both of you have never been back,
so I don't think they would let us.
Speaker 5 (09:02):
You're not watching like you know.
Speaker 6 (09:07):
We haven't left. The only time I left the country
since I came back was the Olympics when we went
to went to France, bought a gold, brought the gold medal,
So that was a little different. I was trying with
the US delegation exactly.
Speaker 7 (09:20):
That's even not like the country since that point.
Speaker 6 (09:23):
No, No, that's so many beautiful places right here in
the USA. Yeah, no, we're gonna visit all those places
we've never visited here.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What do your tattoos say?
Speaker 8 (09:33):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Read first, so mine says you see all my light
and you love all my dark.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Lake, Follow and subscribe to my Legacy podcast, and most importantly,
share this with someone who needs a reminder of their
strength today.
Speaker 8 (09:57):
Now back to my legacy.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Asking that question.
Speaker 7 (10:00):
It's just kind of my heart like just tightened a
minute when you said you didn't think everyone would be
happy when you came back. Can I understand where that
came from?
Speaker 6 (10:12):
Yeah, the trade, you know, not everybody. Everybody has their
own ideas and everybody has their own views, and with
a phone and a keyboard, you know, everybody can feel
like they're important to voice whatever that statement is. And
sometimes they just shouldn't say it because it's just mean
and that's all it is. But yeah, there was people
that were, you know, upset about it or didn't take
(10:34):
the time to learn the whole story, and all they
saw was a headline and then they made their they
got their whole idea from a headline, you know. So
I had to deal with you know, all those all
that those type of people.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
And to be clear, this is extremely political, and so
if you are privy, and if you're not privy.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Anything dealing with politics, I realized.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
It comes with a lot of risk management safety wise,
because people feel strongly about the side that they have
and so we got a crash course in politics when
BG was wrongfully detained. Because a lot of people feel
really strongly about the fact that I don't care was
(11:23):
a medical marijuana. I don't care if she was allowed
to have it in the US. She knew she shouldn't
have it there, and so she should do every single
second of the time that they give her. I don't
care if it's outrageous number. And they stand on that
and they're they're they're hateful about the fact that that
was not what God had in his will for her,
(11:45):
and so the risk management goes extremely high when you
now have people who hate what God did for you
in God's name. By the way, gay, they're going to
have a cross in their bio, don't worry. Okay, they
did all this in God's image, Okay, but yeah, they're
they're extremely vocal about it. And all it takes is
one person to actually stand on the hatred inside of
(12:06):
their heart. And we see it every day, you know,
even if we don't you know, allow it to consume us,
we still see it. And you know, it's a risk
management factor now for us that we always have to
considers the fact that people hate the fact that the
will that God had for her says she will come home.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
They don't like that.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
Would you feel safe now, No, not, not entirely no, no,
not after not after everything, the threats, the what we
what we've seen and dealt with. No, we know, you know,
we're not oblivious to a threat that you know is
out there. But yeah, no, it's just we move differently
and we take the right precautions.
Speaker 8 (12:48):
Are there other things that you all have done other
than the Army's program that are to protect your mental
peace and mental health both of you.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
Counseling. I mean, I'm a big advocate for counseling. Even
if everything's going great. I think someone should just have
somebody to talk to that you know, isn't a part
of their everyday life, you know, just just to hear,
bounce ideas off, whatever it is. But I definitely have
been using you know, a counselor and just talking. And
it's not every day now, but you know, if something
(13:22):
popped up or I feel I can feel that feeling
of things just being weird or off, uh shoot, or
a text hey can we talk and you know, she'll
call me and we'll talk or we'll text or we'll
do whatever whatever it is. So still using my counselor.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
But yeah, yeah, I would.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Say that and then just time away from it all.
So we it was a lot. Honestly, I kind of
still think it's a lot. So I know, in.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
What like three or four days, it will technically make
three years, but I kid you not, it still feels
like I just opened my eye, like like it doesn't
feel like three years has passed because I think we're
just now getting to a point of stability. You know,
we had to move, like our address was given every
time weg walked in court, and so I'm wondering why
(14:13):
things are popping up at the house. I don't feel
safe at the house, like it's random people knocking on
my door, like all of these things.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
And so we moved, like and I.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
Just feel like since she's come back, we've probably moved
like seven times. Like it's just been so much happening,
you know, trying to find you know, what are new
is and getting that solid ground and the stability of
it all. And so we try and obviously do separate
(14:43):
counseling and just make sure we're both well as individual persons.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
But then you got to.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
Remember, like our relationship took a ten year, I mean
a ten month like you know, hiatus from each other,
and so you know, trying to make sure we find
times in the midst of all the speed, even a
chaos of life, to kind of slow down, stop and
just do nothing.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
With each other.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Can we still sit in silence?
Speaker 8 (15:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:06):
Like we look each other and the I like, you know,
and these are things that you know, we had to
prioritize as well, like finding moments to go back and
doing that nothing together because that's what we started at,
you know, our friendship in college. We started at doing
nothing and I'm like, do we still got that?
Speaker 8 (15:23):
Like?
Speaker 5 (15:23):
And so that was another huge thing for us. It's
just the quality time and stepping away from like, oh my.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
God, you were in Russia.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
I'm Joe, sorry about that, and it's just like we
can't escape it. We can't, you know, that's not healing
for us. And so we had to.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Really figure out how to silence all of that.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
What role does faith play for both of you?
Speaker 5 (15:44):
All?
Speaker 6 (15:45):
Huge? Huge And I again I give credit to my wife.
You know, I had some people not do faith the
right way and before you know, and it made me question,
it made me kind of just push it back. But
my wife showed me the good side of the church
to be completely honest, and I fell in love with it.
(16:06):
And you know, the whole time I was over there,
I felt more into my word. Took me a while
to get my Bible, but once I got it, I
mean I was every single day I was in it,
and it honestly got me through a lot of the
dark times as well. And then coming back still staying
in it. I mean, yeah, the Lord is in our
(16:28):
house strong.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Yeah, yeah. I grew up extremely Southern Baptist, and so.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
I was always told that, you know, when they're going
gets tough, you could always call friends, and you could
always do those type of things, of course.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
But.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Being still and sitting with God is always going to
be my first option.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
And that's what I did.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
And so everybody was calling and wanted to check, and
all of the above other people that knew me best,
they understood the posture that I was about to take,
and it was not to be on my phone all day.
So I was much more of a I'm not about
to answer these phone calls, but I am about to
be on my knees and I'm about to be praying.
(17:14):
And so people tell me all the time they pray
for us, and so I'm gonna just say it in
the mic, thank you. I needed every single last one
of them. And I don't take things like that for granted.
And God said, when two people come together, he's in
that room. And so I'm just grateful for everybody that
thought to turn to him and not pick up that
phone and gossip about it, because I truly believe that
(17:36):
while everybody saw me advocated and things like that, like,
it was nothing but God that got me in those rooms.
There was nothing but God that allowed people to even
resonate with my voice because people they learned who my
wife was because of me, you know, and I understood
what I was doing. I understood what we are BG meant,
and I wanted people to put themselves in the we
(17:58):
and really connect with her. And the only way that
happened was because of God. You know, like empathy and
things like that, that doesn't happen without love, and that's
a God trait.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So I'm grateful.
Speaker 9 (18:11):
Okay, So you all have a little boy, Bash who's
just over a year old, and Cherrelle, I want to
ask you to please give us a glimpse into into
you all's life at home in Brittany as a parent
that people might be surprised by.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
Oh, that's such a goin.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
I think people would be surprised, but honestly, the way
Beg shows up as a parent, she works her butt off,
you know, and so to the point where you know,
I during season, you know, I told Gg like I
got it. You don't want buy anything in his house,
Like I got this.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
You take all.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Your time and energy and you know, like put it
into what we both No one day has to stop,
you know, like we all will age, you know, and
we're all going to age out if we're doing some
type of physical activity.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
You know, sport is our job, and so I'm like
focus on that. Be just like okay, great, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
No, she still comes home literally after games, after practice
and we'll go in there and be like you stay
like bash crime middle of night and I am getting
up droopy ot and be just like no, like.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Ah, we'll get up.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
We'll go in there ten to bash at nights, I
get some rests, like and I'm just you know, I'm
amazed by things like that because I'm like, you don't
have to do that. I've said you didn't have to
do that, you know, But her ability to like understand
the like okay, like I'm in here krembling because my
baby is a lot like she she she finds the
time to like notice it, like and she feels in
(19:51):
like whenever she is home, like you.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Just got off a two week road trip.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Come home and rest is what I'm wanting her to do,
But instead she comes home and she's right in to it,
and I'm just like, yeah, tired, like, you know, want
to sit down a second, And she's like no, She's like,
I missed him, I missed y'all, like, and she just
gets right into it.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
And Bash lights up like he loves it.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
But yeah, like her ability to like go to work
and then turn work off and come home and jump
right into it.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
He has no idea who his parent is yet, you know,
he doesn't know. I know. So I'm like, you're tired,
but no, he'll never know.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Like BG comes in and just gets after it, and
I love that.
Speaker 9 (20:31):
Well, let's give you your roses because we have to acknowledge
that you were named one of Marie Claire's power Moms.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
That's pretty attacked.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
It was. It was definitely under that. It meant the
absolute world to me.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
So I love Bash and I don't take motherhood lightly
at all.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So I don't think you take a lot of things
like that.
Speaker 9 (20:54):
Yeah, So, Britney, what about Sharon as a mom do
you admire.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
The most?
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Well, let me.
Speaker 6 (21:07):
Start with before even even conceiving the amount of preparation
Real took. I'm sorry I call her real, but the
amount that real took going into it, I'm talking about, like,
way before even thinking about doing it. She's like, Okay,
I have to start working out way way more.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Now.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
I gotta stop eating this with you because I'll sit
up and eat junk food. She's like, I can't do
this with you anymore. And she did all this stuff
and you know, gave us this healthy, beautiful baby boy,
and watching her through birth and how strong she was
and just getting through all that, Like I was blown
away for one. Let's just start there still big and
(21:53):
then just just the every day, like the day to
day how she said that, you know, in the season,
she'll just take on this role of everything bash And
that's that's a lot like that. I mean, anybody that
has kids, it's a lot. It's full time job on
top of starting her own law firm, just restudying for
(22:14):
the bar again. I mean, she's doing all this and
taking care of a one year old. I'm blown away
and taking care of me too. I mean it's my
first given super mom.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
No, I'm just blown away at just how she is.
And he lights up, he lights up with me. Nah,
that boy lights up bright, bright, bright with her, and
I just love it.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
If you enjoy today's conversation, subscribe, share, and follow us
on at my Legacy Movement on social media and YouTube.
New episodes drop every Tuesday, with bonus content every Thursday.
At its core. This podcast honors doctor King's vision of
the beloved community and the power of connection. A Legacy
(23:02):
Plus Studio production distributed by iHeartMedia creator and executive producer
Suzanne Hayward co executive producer Lisa Lyle. Listen on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is my legacy. In this week's bonus drop, WNBA
superstar Britney Griner and her wife Cherrelle opened up about
a love story that started with a chocolate milkshake mishap
and grew into something unshakable. They get real about the
public scrutiny, ruts, and counseling after Britney's two hundred and
ninety three days in a Russian prison. From navigating trauma
(00:24):
and finding their footing again to becoming parents and rediscovering joy,
their story is a testament to how love restores what
the world tries to break.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Let's jump in, Kurrell.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
You and Brittany have been married for seven years, but
you first met back in college.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah, we want to hear about the love story, how
it all began. We met and went twenty eleven in college.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
We have this they call it the sub This is
student union building at Baylor. And I'm really studious at
the time. I know I want to be an attorney.
I mean, I have a minor and a major, so
I'm I really am just like on.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
A really strict schedule.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
I work two jobs in undergrad and so I don't
have time to waste. So my day is pretty much
the same every day. And so I go in the
student union building right before I go to my English class,
and I just wanted to get a chocolate milkshake kind
of hold me over and so I can actually get lunch.
I go order milkshake and I'm waiting in line, like
you know, all the other students, and Brittany walks in
(01:32):
and she does not go to a line at all.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
She walks in and everybody's just like hey, Beige.
Speaker 5 (01:39):
And when I say everybody, I mean all of the workers,
because Beg's the type of person she's gonna walk in
a room and it doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Who you are, she's gonna say, how do you?
Speaker 5 (01:46):
And so everybody in there knew her, from the janitor
to the people that work behind the registers, to everybody
that makes the food, the cooks, everyone. So she walks
in and it is like a party, like no one's talking.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
To them, you know. But BG walks in and everybody's.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
Like hey, they're coming out from the back, and I'm
just standing there like, okay, keep working, guys, Like class,
my milkshake.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
I have to get to class.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
So I'm standing there and I'm like all right, like
let's meet this up and out of nowhere, one of
them walks from the back with a milkshake in hand.
It is a chocolate milkshake because my eyes work and
I'm watching my milkshake be made right.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
And so they come out from the back and they're
just like, oh, Beg, we got to shake for you.
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Someone comes out from Chick Filanta like, Beg, we got
some nuggets for you, like, and everybody's just coming out
throwing her food.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
She's ordered nothing. So I'm like, this is wild.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
And so at that point, I was like, I have
time to wait for another one, like this is unfair injustice, Like,
let me handle this. So so I walk up to Veg,
who I've never met in my life. She's huge tall,
I'm really sure, and so like I tap her on
the back of her shoulder and she turns around, looks
down and like it's like huh, and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Hey, I'm pretty sure they just gave you my milkshake.
I'm like, and I have to get to class.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
I'm like so, and she was just like she could
have been mean, but she was actually extremely nice.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
She was like, wait, this went oh, I'm so sorry,
and she.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Handed it to me, and I was like, oh my god,
now I probably look like a little jerk down here,
you know, And so I was like, you should make
a joke light in the mood.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
So I was just like, do you remember my name?
And but she was like yeah, of course, yeah, yeah, yeah,
like she's personal. So she's really trying to sell it
that we've met. And so I was like, well, what
is it and she was like, ah, you got me.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
She was like, if you say it again, I won't
forget it. And I was like, my name is Schrel.
I was like, we haven't met. I was like, but
I just had to light this up a little.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Bit because I was like, I don't want to look rude.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
I was like, but I did eat that milkshake and
she was like, no, that's good. She was like, I
will never forget your name now. She was like that
was real good. And I walked out, paid for my
shake and left and after that I never thought we'd.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
You know, cross paths again, but like she was hooked
guys and stuff. I just started asking everybody who.
Speaker 6 (04:01):
I was all around campus. I'm asking everybody like who
is Schrell? Who is who is this girl? Who's the
no one could tell me who she was. I'm even
more intrigued, like I'm like, wait, somebody at campus and
no one knows who they are, like what? And she
was that nice, that polite. I was like, oh, I
gotta find her.
Speaker 5 (04:20):
Yeah, yeah, And so that's how we met. But she
after asking everybody, no one knew at that point. She's like,
this little girl will definitely be back in this sub
union building, right, and so she just sat outside the
stupp Uton building around the same time. I kid you not,
I can never go to that sub at that time,
and not going into BG.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
She was always there every.
Speaker 5 (04:39):
Day and she would like, yell my name and I
do not like attention, okay, Like I am in and
out type of girl.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And did you a young like Cherrelle? Is that you?
Hey Cherrell? Across campus? She wouldn't wait for me to
come up and say hi. She would do it a
minute she saw.
Speaker 6 (04:54):
I'm yelling across the campus. Because she actually dressed like
I was. I was that athlete, that kind of just
athletic where until the teacher said, hey, dress up, you
know you got a presentation. She dressed up every single day,
like to the tea business casual, looked amazing, like respectfully,
like everything was just amazing, and so I would yell out,
you look really nice today.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I love your scar.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
I'm not gonna stop until you say hi. And she
would be like she would give me like a quick
little like oh my god, like hi, I stop, and I'd.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Be like, okay.
Speaker 5 (05:25):
I was so one tracked mine at that time, Like
I was just like I can't afford to be a Baylor.
I'm on a scholarship her, I just gotta do this
anymore anything, you know, Like I just wasn't into that
type of stuff.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
And so I didn't know who she was.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
I just knew she was athlete, and they have a stereotype,
you know, and so I was just like, no, like,
you know, we're not the same. And so after what
maybe like two weeks, she realized our English class was
beside each other.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
She started going to English class. Go to kids go
to go to class. Kids started going to English class.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
But before she ago, she would always come inside my
classroom next door and say hi, share.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
And my professor would be like, you know Brittany Grinder,
And I'm like, no, I don't you do know Brittany
grand And like and Britney's at.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
The door like hi, shar High and I would say hi,
and that would be it.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Like we finally were friends at that point because I
was like, this has to.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Do you have matching tattoos? We do, okay, we got
like two.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
This one in Russia. Actually we did get.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
This put up and tell us about that.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
So I lived in Russia for a year with right
after I used to be a teacher and so I
knew I was going to law school and I got accepted,
and that's when BG was like we should date again,
Like please, I don't want to be a friend anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
She wanted to be out of the friend zone.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
I was like, I can't do friend anymore. And so
I was like, well, you know what, They'll let me
defer a year. And so I deferred law school for
a year actually, and I didn't work to do anything
because Big.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Was like, just don't work, don't do anything.
Speaker 5 (07:02):
You just got done teaching in a real career, Like
take a year off and just come with me for
the year. And so I lived in Russia with her
like and just relaxed for the year before I actually
started law school.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
And so were you thinking, I mean obviously, what do
you think about Russia at that point? And what do
you look back at things?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I mean, to be very honest, like.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
Life grows you up, it makes you see things in
a different lens. Yes, and so if I just go
back to the lens that I naively used to wear
before Big was wrongfully detained, because I didn't know that
that was a world in my mind that only happens
in movies.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Okay, it was amazing, like and so we went over there.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
It was I love seeing different cultures. I love being
immersed in them. They treated them better than they treated
them in the US as professional women athletes who play basketball.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
So it was.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
When I say, like the treatment that NBA players get here,
that's what w NBA players get there. And so it
was actually like an upclass to me, like from what
we experienced in the States when it comes to basketball.
And so I loved it. I enjoyed my time there,
and we have fun there, like I mean, yeah, and
(08:22):
but I didn't know about their It's crazy to think
this because I am an attorney, but I did know
about their judicial system. I actually it didn't matter to me,
So I just didn't bother to realize that we were
actually going into a really dangerous country. I had no
(08:42):
idea like that never crossed my mind. But I'll tell
you this, I'll never travel somewhere and not know who
runs that country and what I'm dealing with.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
This actually places that I think are beautiful that I
don't want to go to anymore.
Speaker 7 (08:54):
And I assume both of you have never been back,
so I don't think they would let us.
Speaker 5 (09:02):
You're not watching like you know.
Speaker 6 (09:07):
We haven't left. The only time I left the country
since I came back was the Olympics when we went
to went to France, bought a gold, brought the gold medal,
So that was a little different. I was trying with
the US delegation exactly.
Speaker 7 (09:20):
That's even not like the country since that point.
Speaker 6 (09:23):
No, No, that's so many beautiful places right here in
the USA. Yeah, no, we're gonna visit all those places
we've never visited here.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What do your tattoos say?
Speaker 8 (09:33):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Read first, so mine says you see all my light
and you love all my dark.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Lake, Follow and subscribe to my Legacy podcast, and most importantly,
share this with someone who needs a reminder of their
strength today.
Speaker 8 (09:57):
Now back to my legacy.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Asking that question.
Speaker 7 (10:00):
It's just kind of my heart like just tightened a
minute when you said you didn't think everyone would be
happy when you came back. Can I understand where that
came from?
Speaker 6 (10:12):
Yeah, the trade, you know, not everybody. Everybody has their
own ideas and everybody has their own views, and with
a phone and a keyboard, you know, everybody can feel
like they're important to voice whatever that statement is. And
sometimes they just shouldn't say it because it's just mean
and that's all it is. But yeah, there was people
that were, you know, upset about it or didn't take
(10:34):
the time to learn the whole story, and all they
saw was a headline and then they made their they
got their whole idea from a headline, you know. So
I had to deal with you know, all those all
that those type of people.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
And to be clear, this is extremely political, and so
if you are privy, and if you're not privy.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Anything dealing with politics, I realized.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
It comes with a lot of risk management safety wise,
because people feel strongly about the side that they have
and so we got a crash course in politics when
BG was wrongfully detained. Because a lot of people feel
really strongly about the fact that I don't care was
(11:23):
a medical marijuana. I don't care if she was allowed
to have it in the US. She knew she shouldn't
have it there, and so she should do every single
second of the time that they give her. I don't
care if it's outrageous number. And they stand on that
and they're they're they're hateful about the fact that that
was not what God had in his will for her,
(11:45):
and so the risk management goes extremely high when you
now have people who hate what God did for you
in God's name. By the way, gay, they're going to
have a cross in their bio, don't worry. Okay, they
did all this in God's image, Okay, but yeah, they're
they're extremely vocal about it. And all it takes is
one person to actually stand on the hatred inside of
(12:06):
their heart. And we see it every day, you know,
even if we don't you know, allow it to consume us,
we still see it. And you know, it's a risk
management factor now for us that we always have to
considers the fact that people hate the fact that the
will that God had for her says she will come home.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
They don't like that.
Speaker 6 (12:26):
Would you feel safe now, No, not, not entirely no, no,
not after not after everything, the threats, the what we
what we've seen and dealt with. No, we know, you know,
we're not oblivious to a threat that you know is
out there. But yeah, no, it's just we move differently
and we take the right precautions.
Speaker 8 (12:48):
Are there other things that you all have done other
than the Army's program that are to protect your mental
peace and mental health both of you.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
Counseling. I mean, I'm a big advocate for counseling. Even
if everything's going great. I think someone should just have
somebody to talk to that you know, isn't a part
of their everyday life, you know, just just to hear,
bounce ideas off, whatever it is. But I definitely have
been using you know, a counselor and just talking. And
it's not every day now, but you know, if something
(13:22):
popped up or I feel I can feel that feeling
of things just being weird or off, uh shoot, or
a text hey can we talk and you know, she'll
call me and we'll talk or we'll text or we'll
do whatever whatever it is. So still using my counselor.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
But yeah, yeah, I would.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Say that and then just time away from it all.
So we it was a lot. Honestly, I kind of
still think it's a lot. So I know, in.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
What like three or four days, it will technically make
three years, but I kid you not, it still feels
like I just opened my eye, like like it doesn't
feel like three years has passed because I think we're
just now getting to a point of stability. You know,
we had to move, like our address was given every
time weg walked in court, and so I'm wondering why
(14:13):
things are popping up at the house. I don't feel
safe at the house, like it's random people knocking on
my door, like all of these things.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
And so we moved, like and I.
Speaker 5 (14:22):
Just feel like since she's come back, we've probably moved
like seven times. Like it's just been so much happening,
you know, trying to find you know, what are new
is and getting that solid ground and the stability of
it all. And so we try and obviously do separate
(14:43):
counseling and just make sure we're both well as individual persons.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
But then you got to.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
Remember, like our relationship took a ten year, I mean
a ten month like you know, hiatus from each other,
and so you know, trying to make sure we find
times in the midst of all the speed, even a
chaos of life, to kind of slow down, stop and
just do nothing.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
With each other.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Can we still sit in silence?
Speaker 8 (15:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:06):
Like we look each other and the I like, you know,
and these are things that you know, we had to
prioritize as well, like finding moments to go back and
doing that nothing together because that's what we started at,
you know, our friendship in college. We started at doing
nothing and I'm like, do we still got that?
Speaker 8 (15:23):
Like?
Speaker 5 (15:23):
And so that was another huge thing for us. It's
just the quality time and stepping away from like, oh my.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
God, you were in Russia.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
I'm Joe, sorry about that, and it's just like we
can't escape it. We can't, you know, that's not healing
for us. And so we had to.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Really figure out how to silence all of that.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
What role does faith play for both of you?
Speaker 5 (15:44):
All?
Speaker 6 (15:45):
Huge? Huge And I again I give credit to my wife.
You know, I had some people not do faith the
right way and before you know, and it made me question,
it made me kind of just push it back. But
my wife showed me the good side of the church
to be completely honest, and I fell in love with it.
(16:06):
And you know, the whole time I was over there,
I felt more into my word. Took me a while
to get my Bible, but once I got it, I
mean I was every single day I was in it,
and it honestly got me through a lot of the
dark times as well. And then coming back still staying
in it. I mean, yeah, the Lord is in our
(16:28):
house strong.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Yeah, yeah. I grew up extremely Southern Baptist, and so.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
I was always told that, you know, when they're going
gets tough, you could always call friends, and you could
always do those type of things, of course.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
But.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Being still and sitting with God is always going to
be my first option.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
And that's what I did.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
And so everybody was calling and wanted to check, and
all of the above other people that knew me best,
they understood the posture that I was about to take,
and it was not to be on my phone all day.
So I was much more of a I'm not about
to answer these phone calls, but I am about to
be on my knees and I'm about to be praying.
(17:14):
And so people tell me all the time they pray
for us, and so I'm gonna just say it in
the mic, thank you. I needed every single last one
of them. And I don't take things like that for granted.
And God said, when two people come together, he's in
that room. And so I'm just grateful for everybody that
thought to turn to him and not pick up that
phone and gossip about it, because I truly believe that
(17:36):
while everybody saw me advocated and things like that, like,
it was nothing but God that got me in those rooms.
There was nothing but God that allowed people to even
resonate with my voice because people they learned who my
wife was because of me, you know, and I understood
what I was doing. I understood what we are BG meant,
and I wanted people to put themselves in the we
(17:58):
and really connect with her. And the only way that
happened was because of God. You know, like empathy and
things like that, that doesn't happen without love, and that's
a God trait.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So I'm grateful.
Speaker 9 (18:11):
Okay, So you all have a little boy, Bash who's
just over a year old, and Cherrelle, I want to
ask you to please give us a glimpse into into
you all's life at home in Brittany as a parent
that people might be surprised by.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
Oh, that's such a goin.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
I think people would be surprised, but honestly, the way
Beg shows up as a parent, she works her butt off,
you know, and so to the point where you know,
I during season, you know, I told Gg like I
got it. You don't want buy anything in his house,
Like I got this.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
You take all.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Your time and energy and you know, like put it
into what we both No one day has to stop,
you know, like we all will age, you know, and
we're all going to age out if we're doing some
type of physical activity.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
You know, sport is our job, and so I'm like
focus on that. Be just like okay, great, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
No, she still comes home literally after games, after practice
and we'll go in there and be like you stay
like bash crime middle of night and I am getting
up droopy ot and be just like no, like.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Ah, we'll get up.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
We'll go in there ten to bash at nights, I
get some rests, like and I'm just you know, I'm
amazed by things like that because I'm like, you don't
have to do that. I've said you didn't have to
do that, you know, But her ability to like understand
the like okay, like I'm in here krembling because my
baby is a lot like she she she finds the
time to like notice it, like and she feels in
(19:51):
like whenever she is home, like you.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Just got off a two week road trip.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Come home and rest is what I'm wanting her to do,
But instead she comes home and she's right in to it,
and I'm just like, yeah, tired, like, you know, want
to sit down a second, And she's like no, She's like,
I missed him, I missed y'all, like, and she just
gets right into it.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
And Bash lights up like he loves it.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
But yeah, like her ability to like go to work
and then turn work off and come home and jump
right into it.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
He has no idea who his parent is yet, you know,
he doesn't know. I know. So I'm like, you're tired,
but no, he'll never know.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Like BG comes in and just gets after it, and
I love that.
Speaker 9 (20:31):
Well, let's give you your roses because we have to acknowledge
that you were named one of Marie Claire's power Moms.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
That's pretty attacked.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
It was. It was definitely under that. It meant the
absolute world to me.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
So I love Bash and I don't take motherhood lightly
at all.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
So I don't think you take a lot of things
like that.
Speaker 9 (20:54):
Yeah, So, Britney, what about Sharon as a mom do
you admire.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
The most?
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Well, let me.
Speaker 6 (21:07):
Start with before even even conceiving the amount of preparation
Real took. I'm sorry I call her real, but the
amount that real took going into it, I'm talking about, like,
way before even thinking about doing it. She's like, Okay,
I have to start working out way way more.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Now.
Speaker 6 (21:28):
I gotta stop eating this with you because I'll sit
up and eat junk food. She's like, I can't do
this with you anymore. And she did all this stuff
and you know, gave us this healthy, beautiful baby boy,
and watching her through birth and how strong she was
and just getting through all that, Like I was blown
away for one. Let's just start there still big and
(21:53):
then just just the every day, like the day to
day how she said that, you know, in the season,
she'll just take on this role of everything bash And
that's that's a lot like that. I mean, anybody that
has kids, it's a lot. It's full time job on
top of starting her own law firm, just restudying for
(22:14):
the bar again. I mean, she's doing all this and
taking care of a one year old. I'm blown away
and taking care of me too. I mean it's my
first given super mom.
Speaker 8 (22:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
No, I'm just blown away at just how she is.
And he lights up, he lights up with me. Nah,
that boy lights up bright, bright, bright with her, and
I just love it.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
If you enjoy today's conversation, subscribe, share, and follow us
on at my Legacy Movement on social media and YouTube.
New episodes drop every Tuesday, with bonus content every Thursday.
At its core. This podcast honors doctor King's vision of
the beloved community and the power of connection. A Legacy
(23:02):
Plus Studio production distributed by iHeartMedia creator and executive producer
Suzanne Hayward co executive producer Lisa Lyle. Listen on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Craig Kielburger
Marc Kielburger
Martin Luther King III
Arndrea Waters King
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