Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson’s hasty marriage was no solution for their bigger problems.
Two women, both athletic standouts and WNBA superstars, meet on the basketball court in college and reconnect a few years later in the pros only to fall madly in love with each other off the hardwood. You couldn’t have written a better storybook romance if you tried.
Maybe that’s part of the problem?
Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson’s relationship has been a complete whirlwind—full of lovey-dovey Instagram posts and continuous declarations of love on Twitter and Facebook. From the outside looking in, everything seemed like a fairytale or some unreachable fantasy right out of the pages of a contemporary romance novel perfectly crafted by Lynn Ames. But this isn’t a novel. It’s real life. And in real life, the fantasy only lasts so long until reality sets in.
Griner and Johnson got engaged after only two months of dating. That’s hardly enough time to get to know someone beyond the level of butterflies and flowers, because when the relationship is so new and young everything seems perfect. I know, I know—everyone is different. But these girls are young and spontaneous and still learning about themselves. This is evident in the incident that occurred only a week ago. By all media accounts and the police report, an argument ensued and both women got physical with each other. There were bite marks, scratches, cuts and bruises. It was disturbing to say the least.
Griner and Johnson’s physical altercation was indeed impulsive and troublesome. There’s no excuse in the history of the world that makes getting physical with your significant other okay. Not one. They obviously didn’t realize the impact and implications of their actions. Unfortunately, they still don’t get it. Johnson posted a selfie pretending to bite Griner in the cheek, mocking the incident. To me, that’s a sign of immaturity and an important red flag.
Despite everything that has happened, the fairytale wedding is still on. Like so many other people, I’m a fan of the couple and I’m following their story right along you. I honestly hope that things work out for Griner and Johnson, and they can learn and grow from this and move on. But I also know that there’s a strong possibility that this fairytale might not end with a “happily ever after.”
UPDATE:
These past two months have been a whirlwind for Brittney Griner. While she put on a smile and trudged forward through a very public domestic violence incident and a subsequent WNBA suspension, she was also juggling the purchase of a new house and the planning of a wedding.
With so much going on, many people thought the wedding should be postponed until Griner finished her court-ordered counseling and took some time to mature—myself included. But Griner went ahead and walked down the aisle with her then fianceé Glory Johnson, essentially saying “long hair, don’t care” every step of the way.
Less than a month later, she filed for an annulment.
At this point, the details behind the filing are murky. And now there’s a baby involved, which Griner has yet to comment publicly on. However, she did address some of the issues openly in a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Kate Fagan.
It’s clear that Griner regrets a lot of what went down the past couple of months, and that she is determined to right the ship. But there is a wider conversation at play here. The domestic violence incident has somehow taken a backseat to a fairytale-love-story-gone-horrible-wrong narrative. Most lesbian outlets have discussed the breaking up of the relationship but not necessarily what preceded it. Why is that? Especially when domestic violence is a serious issue in the lesbian community?
For a little perspective on the matter, this article by Bleacher Report does a great job of breaking down the issue of domestic violence in the LGBT community and addressing the pink elephant in the room. It’s a must read for anyone following this story:
As for Griner, I do believe she can redeem herself and regain the respect and appreciation she worked so hard to earn as one of the most visible LGBT athletes in the world. She told Fagan at the end of the interview that she is going to “submerge” herself into basketball. When you think about it, it’s an appropriate visual because she’s looking to be cleansed of all her errs and start anew.
The game of basketball is pure and simple. It’s where Griner feels most at home. And it’s where she’ll find redemption.
WE'RE OK! @brittneygriner and I are home, injury-free, and still wedding planning! We know we must set better examples, even during the most trying times, and we are EXTREMELY sorry for all the negative attention we brought to ourselves, our family, and the league. We are actively seeking help in order to do BETTER. Thanks for all the Love, Support, and Prayers that were sent our way. #LoveLife #StillBlessed #WorkInProgress #NobodysPerfect