WNBA star Brittney Griner has announced that she has filed papers seeking to annul her marriage to fellow WNBA star Glory Johnson 28 days into the union, ESPN reports.
The shocking news comes one day after Johnson announced on Instagram that she is expecting the couple’s first child. Both are 24.
In a statement released Friday, Griner called the marriage a “mistake.”
“Last Wednesday, Glory and I agreed to either legally separate, get divorced, or annul our marriage,” Griner said. “I can confirm that today I filed for an annulment. In the week prior to the wedding, I attempted to postpone the wedding several times until I completed counseling, but I still went through with it. I now realize that was a mistake.”
As previously reported by The Root, Griner and Johnson were arrested April 22 after a violent altercation at their home in a Phoenix suburb. Johnson’s sister reportedly called the police after several people “couldn't get them pulled apart.”
When police officers arrived, Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, reportedly had several cuts and a bite wound, and Johnson, who plays for the Tulsa Shock, was bleeding from a cut lip. It was later revealed that Johnson, who was reportedly struck with a “hard carrying case,” also suffered a concussion and spinal trauma. The incident sparked intense dialogue about how the news media report on domestic violence in same-sex relationships. The WNBA suspended both players for seven games.
Griner, who accepted a plea deal, told police at the time that the couple was having “serious relationship issues.” BuzzFeed has obtained documents filed in the Maricopa County Superior Court stating that Griner was pressured into the marriage.
The couple used a sperm donor to conceive, so Griner will have no biological relationship to the child, leaving the potential for a custody battle unclear. Just hours before Griner announced that she was seeking an annulment, Johnson posted a picture of Griner with her ear to Johnson’s stomach. Johnson has not issued a statement.