Trevor Reed’s Dad Chokes Up on CNN After Reading Message From Brittney Griner’s Wife

The family of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed has plenty to celebrate with Reed released from Russian captivity for the first time since 2019, but they had plenty of worries too when speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday.

Reed was serving a nine-year prison sentence after being convicted of drunkenly assaulting Moscow cops, charges his family has said he was innocent of. Reed was released as part of a prisoner exchange with the U.S. for Konstantin Yaroshenko, who himself was serving a 20 year sentence for drug smuggling.

Joey Reed, Trevor’s father, got choked up multiple times in the interview, requiring his wife Paula Reed to step in. What had him so emotional was not just the fact that he had spent time with his son for the first time in years the night before, but also the fact that other Americans are still imprisoned in Russia, cases he said his son made sure to mention to his parents during their reunion.

The other cases mentioned by Reed were that of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, two imprisoned Americans in Russia whose cases have received new attention with Reed’s release. Joey Reed said one of his son’s first questions on his trip back to America was where Whelan was.

Griner is a WNBA star who was taken into police custody in February for possessing hashish oil in her luggage. For this, Griner could face 10 years behind bars. Then there is Whelan, a former Marine arrested in Moscow in 2018 and charged with spying, though he’s completely denied the accusations.

Joey Reed at one point brought up an Instagram message posted this week from Griner’s wife, highlighting the athlete’s case, but also celebrating the return of Trevor Reed to his family.

The post read:

As I do everything in my power to get BG home, my heart is overflowing with joy for The Reed Family. I do not personally know them, but I do know the pain of having your loved one detained in a foreign country

Reed began crying before he could finish thanking her for the post.

“We saw a wonderful note from her wife on Instagram, a beautiful letter and our hearts —” he said before emotions took over, and his wife stepped in.

“Our hearts go out to you. We appreciate the graciousness of her statement,” she said.

Reed said he feared his son might “fight” any agreement that allowed him to return home, but not others imprisoned like Whelan.

Whelan did release a statement after Reed’s release asking why he was “left behind.”

“Why was I left behind?” he said. “While I am pleased Trevor is home with his family, I have been held on a fictitious charge of espionage for 40 months. The world knows this charge was fabricated. Why hasn’t more been done to secure my release?”