Dennis Rodman is planning a trip to Russia to seek the release of Brittney Griner.

Dennis Rodman vows to help Brittney Griner

Dennis Rodman vows to help Brittney Griner

The 31-year-old basketball player - who normally lives in Houston, Texas with wife Cherelle Griner - was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling in Russia just days before President Vladimir Putin launched the ongoing invasion on Ukraine and has been sentenced to almost a decade behind bars but her fellow NBA star Dennis, 61, revealed on Sunday (21.08.22) that he has been granted permission to visit the country to help.

He told NBC News: "I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl. I'm trying to go this week. I know Putin too well."

Shortly after the sentencing was delivered in early August, U.S President Joe Biden called on Russia to pardon her "immediately" and claimed that his administration will work "tirelessly" until she is home, with his officials now reportedly saying that Dennis' involvement in the case could "complicate" their efforts.

An administration official said: "He is more likely to hurt than help. It’s public information that the administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts."

Brittney - who is also said to have been fined the equivalent of $16,600 for the offence - was found to have taken less than one gram of cannabis oil into the country and insisted her actions were "inadvertent" but had decided to plead guilty.

She said: "That's why I pled guilty to my charges. I understand everything that's been said against me, the charges that are against me and that is why I pled guilty but I had no intent to break any Russian."

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