Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Dennis Rodman Now Says He Isn’t Going To Russia To Help Griner After All

Last week, we reported that Dennis Rodman said he “got permission” to go to Russia to seek the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner, while claiming to also know Vladimir Putin well.

Per NBC:

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News at a restaurant in D.C. “I’m trying to go this week.”

Griner has been in a Russian prison ever since customs officials found vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage, and has become a valuable asset for the Russians.

While the U.S. Government has been negotiating a prisoner swap with Russia for the past weeks, they feared that Rodman’s plan to conduct informal diplomacy would potential harm Griner’s case. This thankfully does not seem to be in danger now, as Rodman will not be traveling to Russia to seek the release of Griner after all.

Per CBS Sports:

After the United States government publicly discouraged his plan, Rodman seems to have backpedaled on his unsanctioned diplomatic mission.