Mercury's Brittney Griner reveals she considered suicide while detained on drug charges in Russia

Griner was arrested and spent nearly 300 days in a Russian jail for having cannabis oil in her luggage

By Chris Bengel May 2, 2024 at 12:30 pm ET• 1 min read

Brittney Griner spent nearly 300 days after being detained in Russia in February 2022 for having cannabis oil in her luggage. As a result, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison.

In an interview with ABC's "20/20," Griner stated she considered suicide while she was detained.

"I wanted to take my life more than once in those first weeks," Griner said. "I felt like leaving here so badly.

"I just didn't think I could get through what I needed to get through. I definitely thought about it. But then, I was just like, 'What if they didn't release my body to my family?' I can't put them through that. I have to endure this."

Griner also spoke about the conditions she was forced to live in while she was in prison. The former Baylor star said she experienced dirty prison cells, blood stains on her mattress, no soap and a lack of toilet paper.