Glory Johnson Opens Up About Tumultuous Relationship and Sudden Split With Brittney Griner: 'I Trusted This Person'

Brittney Griner has revealed that she has never dated women before and does not consider herself a lesbian – even after her short-lived marriage to Brittney Griner. 

Rather, she tells Cosmpolitan in the December issue, she fell in love with an individual; subsequently "follow[ing] her heart" and marrying "the person [she] was supposed to be with." 

Despite spouts of arguments, including one documented incident of domestic violence between the two WNBA stars, Johnson tells the magazine that she walked down the aisle because she wanted to fight for her love. 

"You work things out and fight for what you love," Johnson, 25, says, adding that her family warned against her marrying the Phoenix Mercury star. "It wasn't about other people. It was about us." 

Johnson also adds that she moved forward with their May wedding because Griner, 25, promised her a change from their past arguments fueled by trust issues. 

"Brittney was crying about how happy she was I stuck with her and promising she'd make it worth it," the Tulsa Shock star continues. "You can call me stupid for believing her, but I trusted this person.' 

Brittney Griner (left) and Glory Johnson

CRIMSON & CLOVER PHOTOGRAPHY

Weeks after they tied the knot, Johnson learned she was pregnant from a round of IVF the couple had done. The now mother of twins said that around the time she learned the news, she mentioned their fight in the press, saying that each woman had pleaded the way they did for a reason – Griner pleaded guilty and enrolled in domestic violence courses and Johnson pleaded not guilty – fueling backlash from her wife who felt Johnson had thrown her under the bus. 

GETTY

Still, the couple announced the pregnancy in early June. Just one day later, Griner filed for an annulment. 

In her filings, Griner claimed that she married Johnson under pressure, was not involved in the IVF and also accused Johnson of texting her ex-boyfriend. She later submitted a revised filing stating that she was actually involved, but, again, under pressure from her wife. 

However, Johnson told Cosmopolitan that Griner was the one who picked the blonde-haired, blue-eyed sperm donor, and continued to show videos in which Griner refers to herself as "Dad" and tells Johnson, "Even if you're not pregnant, I still love you." 

The judge on their case ultimately denied an annulment, leaving the two women to file for divorce and leaving a pregnant Johnson with financial burdens; as the couple had agreed when they moved forward with IVF that she wouldn't play during her off-season in Russia and would not return for the next season with the Tulsa Shock while she trained hard to recuperate after birth. 

But, Johnson's twins came early – just 5 months after conception – Griner was out of the picture, and a judge denied temporary spousal support. In the meantime, the new mom makes half of her regular pay from the women's basketball team while she's on leave and cannot make any income from her overseas endorsements until she's back on the court.

Glory Johnson (left) and Brittney Griner

COURTESY GLORY JOHNSON

"I can't do this by myself," she tells Cosmopolitan. "I have male friends, sweet guys that are offering to help me, and I'm not handling it well. I'm pushing it away because I don't trust anybody. I hope I get to a point where I can give somebody a fair chance, because I was so trusting before." 


While her former marriage and sudden end still bothers and perplexes her, Johnson says she still finds herself concerned about the woman she once loved.

She tells the magazine that, "After all the things that she put me and my family through, I should hate this person. But at the end of the day, I still worry about how she's taking all this.