Thursday 4 August 2022 07:16 PM Justin Bieber and Mia Farrow lead stars reacting to Brittney Griner's 9-year ... trends now
Hollywood stars reacted with outrage on Thursday as it was revealed Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in Russian prison for bringing a marijuana pen into the country in February.
Justin Bieber, Mia Farrow, and Andy Cohen were among the celebrities expressing their displeasure in various social media posts made shortly after news of the sentencing broke.
'THIS HURTS,' Bieber, 28, posted an his Instagram Stories. 'If anyone knows of anyway I can help please let me know.'
Farrow, 77, called the verdict 'heartbreaking' as she tweeted: 'The Russian judge ignored everything Britney Griner had stated. He sentenced her to 9 years in a "penal colony". For carrying 2 vaping cartridges - medically prescribed. Damn. Heartbreaking.'
'This hurts': Hollywood stars reacted with outrage on Thursday as it was revealed Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in Russian prison for bringing a marijuana pen into the country in February
Meanwhile, Cohen tweeted in all caps, 'BRING BRITTNEY HOME.' He added an American flag and prayer hands emoji.
Monty Python actor Eric Idle tweeted: 'Brittney Griner: Basketball star jailed for nine years on drug charges.
'So for invading a neighbor country that would be about 90,000 years for Putin on the same scale.'
Author Greg Olear tweeted: 'Brittney Griner is a hostage. This is kidnapping, sanctioned by Putin's government.'
Not everyone shared the same views, however, with comedian Tim Young writing: 'Brittney Griner is not a political prisoner... she carried drugs that were illegal with her in Russia and was arrested - there's nothing "political"about that.'
Griner, an WNBA star, was found guilty of drug smuggling on Thursday by a judge who rejected her claim she accidentally brought the drugs in. Prosecutors had asked that she be jailed for nine-and-a-half years, six months less than the maximum of 10 years in prison.
Standing up for Brittney: Bieber and Mia Farrow were among the celebs standing up for the athlete
Disbelief: Mia Farrow called the verdict 'heartbreaking'
President Biden immediately denounced the sentence and claimed she was 'wrongfully detained' - despite her pleading guilty. She said it was an 'honest mistake' and that the drugs must have ended up in her bag 'by accident'.
In a statement immediately after the sentencing, Biden said: 'Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.'
He said he would continue to work 'tirelessly' to pursue 'every possible avenue' to bring her and Paul Whelan - another American imprisoned in Russia - home.
Griner, 31, was arrested at the airport in Moscow in February and has been incarcerated ever since, despite failed attempts from the White House to negotiate her release.
Griner, an WNBA star, was found guilty of drug smuggling on Thursday by a judge who rejected her claim she accidentally brought the drugs in
Monty Python actor Eric Idle was among those expressing their displeasure at the verdict
Author Greg Olear tweeted: 'Brittney Griner is a hostage. This is kidnapping, sanctioned by Putin's government'
On Thursday, she sat in the defendant's cage inside the courtroom throughout the proceedings, relying on an interpreter to whisper to her everything the judge said.
Before the sentence was handed down, she begged for leniency and asked the court to take into consideration her good character.
A
