Category: Entertainment

The US basketball star Brittney Griner is famous for her basketball career and campaigns. She has supported the LGBTQIA+ community and helped the children open up about their thoughts and sexuality. This led to fans being curious and asking if Brittney Griner gay in real life. On the other hand, she became a pawn in a political battle between the US and Russia. During her trip to Russia, she met with an unusual incident that led her to become a high-profile hostage. However, her fans continued to support her and have been fighting for her justice. But finally, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. Keep reading to know more.

Early Life & Education

Born on October 18, 1990, in Houston, Brittney Griner is the daughter of Sandra Griner and Raymond Grinner, Vietnam War veteran and Harris County, deputy sheriff. She has three siblings, D, Shkera, and Pier. During her freshman year, Griner enrolled in Nimitz High School and had a knack for basketball and varsity volleyball. In her sophomore year, Griner practiced and trained with the boys’ basketball team and the Nimitz football coach to develop her leg strength. She later shared her dunks video on YouTube. It was later watched more than 6.6 million times. It led her to meet with Shaquille O’Neal.

High School Records

During her senior year, Brittney Griner led her school girls’ team to the basketball state championship game. Unfortunately, she lost the game to Mansfield Summit High School. But Griner soon became the star player of the tournament. She dunked 52 times in 32 games. Griner set a single-game record, leading Houston mayor Bill White to declare May 7, 2009, as Brittney Griner Day. She made another record in a match against Houston Alief Hastings a year ago. In that game, she recorded 25 blocks, setting as the first female with such a great record in the high school game.

College Records

During her college time, she set another record. In a basketball game at Baylor University in Waco, Texans, her 223 blocked shots established her as the greatest shot blocker in women’s basketball history and also set the all-time single-season record. In January 2010, Griner became the seventh player in the women’s college basketball game to dunk during the match in a lopsided 99-18 win against Texas State University.

On March 22, 2010, Griner set an NCAA tournament record. She won 49-33 against the Georgetown Hoyas with 14 blocked shots. Griner received First Team All-American honors during a sophomore run by gaining 23 points a game. She excelled in her college career and won many games by setting up records. After winning the championship, Griner withdrew her candidacy. But a month later, she broke her wrist while riding her skateboard.

Griner Was Forced Out Of The Game

In March 2010, Texas Tech player Jordan Barncastle and Griner were battling for the same position. However, Barncastle made a foul, so Griner took two steps forward and charged a right-handed roundhouse punch, breaking her opponent’s nose. Because of this, the company expelled both of them from the game. But later, Lady Bears coach Kim Mulkey demanded another one-game suspension, which is mandatory by NCAA rules.

Brittney Griner Career

In 2013, Griner was the first pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA draft. She flourished in her rookie season and became the most dominant defensive force in the league. Soon she became the third WNBA player to dunk twice in a game. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stated in April 2013 that he wanted to see Griner in NBA. But later, nothing was heard about it. In the 2014 season, she improved her game and set a WNBA record. However, her career met a setback in 2015.

Due to her domestic violence case, she met with suspension. But the year became the most prolific defensive season in the history of the WNBA. She again set a record despite dealing with her miserable personal life. She again returned with a bang in 2016 and recorded the sixth triple-double to win against the Atlanta Dream with 27 points, 10 blocks, and 10 rebounds. Once her contract expired in 2017, she signed a multi-year deal with the Mercury. It turned out to be the best season of her career as she broke her record.

Overseas Match

In the WNBA off-season, Griner signed a four-month contract with the WCBA to play for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China. There she made $600,000, 12 times the amount she made with the Mercury. In her 2015-16 off-seasons, she played in Russia and won back-to-back championships. Later that year, she signed with UMMC Ekaterinburg. She played for them for almost four years.

Griner Became A Part Of The National Team

During her European training tour in September 2011, Griner was trained under coach Geno Auriemma for the US national team. Back then, she was the only college player in the group and ended up becoming a part of the Olympic women’s basketball team finalists roster. Griner was just 22 when she made it to the Olympics. But she drew her name off to participate in the 2012 Olympics due to family issues. Later she earned her first Olympic gold medal by beating Spain 101-72 in the final. Griner again won the gold medal in her second Olympics in 2021.

Brittney Griner Personal Life

Is Brittney Griner Gay?

There’s no denying that Griner is the greatest female basketball player. However, she addressed her sexuality in her 2013’s interview with SI.com. Griner publicly accepted that she was a lesbian. The basketball player revealed in the interview that children of her age bullied her as a child. Griner stated it was hard to deal with such remarks because of your size, sexuality, and everything. She also mentioned that her father never accepted this and forced her to live with an assistant coach for six weeks. Griner was featured on the ESPN Magazine cover in 2013. But she appeared in “The Taboo Issue” holding a snake, which was her favorite animal.

Griner Engaged In Domestic Violence Case

Griner engaged with her fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson on August 14, 2014. However, the couple was arrested on April 22, 2015, as they were charged with disorderly conduct after police reached their home in Phoenix, Arizona, to calm down the fight between them. Both appeared injured, and despite that, they married the following month. But because of their arrest, both were suspended for seven games. Later Griner pleaded guilty to both assault and disorderly conduct charges. She then took 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling.

Brittney’s Bad Temper Led To Divorce

A couple of months after their marriage, the couple revealed that Johnson was pregnant with twins. With the help of Vitro fertilization, they got a chance to extend their family. However, the following day, Griner filed for divorce, citing coercion and fraud. But it was denied, and Johnson gave birth to their premature twin girls.

However, Griner had other plans. But later, the court forced her to provide financial support to Johnson and her children. The couple finally divorced in June 2016. Griner soon became involved in her championship games and then met Cherelle Watson. Griner engaged in August 2018 and married the following year. Later Watson changed her last name to Griner.

Griner Nine Years Imprisonment

On February 17, 2022, while Griner was traveling, she got arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport for carrying vaporizer cartridges. In Arizona, the doctor prescribed medical cannabis, which was illegal in Russia. Some US officials expressed that Russia was using her as leverage in response to Russia and Ukraine war. While many officials stated that she did no crime, it would be difficult to get her release, especially because of the strained relationship between US and Russia.

In March 2022, the Russian state news agency TASS reported that the court extended Griner’s detention period until May 19. But US State Department believed she was wrongfully detained. So they decided to follow a more aggressive approach to pressure the Russian government to release her. However, Griner’s Russian attorney Alexander Boykov revealed that the short detention period meant for a speedy trial. Later on May 15, the report suggested that US and Russia were considering prisoner swaps. In exchange for Griner, they asked for the international illegal arms dealer Viktor Bout.

However, things turned drastic as Griner became the political pawn between the two rival countries. Her wife also addressed this issue in an interview and later enlisted the help of Bring Our Families Home. On November 17, they finally disclosed her location, which remained under wraps for so many months. She transferred to IK-2, a female penal colony. After spending a month there, Griner was finally released by Russia on December 8, 2022, in exchange for The Merchant Of Death arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Brittney Griner Net Worth

Her net worth has estimated at around $5 million. She has amassed millions through her basketball skills. WNBA played a prominent part in her life in securing such an income. She also played for different countries in the off-season. But she had to pay child support back then to support her kids with her former wife. Despite this, she is striking in her career.

Do you think Britteny Griner was used as a political pawn? Is she to be blamed for carrying medical cannabis? Comment down your thoughts below. Stay tuned. TechRadar247 will keep you updated.

Thomas Bolyn Smothers, or as his fans call him, Tommy Smothers, is a Canadian-American musician and comedian. He is best known for his show, Smothers Brothers. Meanwhile, even after a several decade-long career, Tom’s personal life is little-known among his fans. So let’s take a look at it and try to find out Tommy Smothers is gay. 

Early Life!

Tom Smothers was born February 2, 1937, at the Fort Jay army post-hospital on Governors Island in New York City. His mother, Ruth, was a homemaker, and he was Thomas B. Smothers, a major in the army. He died during service as POW, of the Japanese, in April 1945. 

He completed his high school education at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, after relocating there. Tommy excelled at gymnastics on the parallel bars in his early years and was an enthusiastic and competitive unicyclist. Smothers later enrolled in San José State University, which was formerly known as San José State College. Smothers competed in pole vaulting for the track team at SJSC in addition to gymnastics.

Career!

Tom and his younger brother Dick started out as folk musicians. They started mixing humor into their music shows since they were not musically qualified to pursue it professionally at the time.

From the early 1960s until the early 1970s, he started making appearances as a guest star and recurrent character on TV series. Smoothers Brother premiered and ran for one year. They then began “The Brothers Comedy Hour,” which, throughout its run, got increasingly political before being suddenly discontinued. He has since collaborated with his brother on performances for TV shows and movies. He was given a special Emmy in 2008.

Is Tommy Smothers Gay? 

Much like other celebrities of his stature, Tommy Smothers has also inspired some curiosity among his fans about his sexuality and personal life. However, based on the information available, we can say that Smothers is not gay. For most of his life, Tom has been in romantic relationships with women.

The American comedian has had several relationships. The veteran comic had been married three times and apparently had relationships with two more women over his eight decades of life. Three children were born to him through two of the three women. In 1963, he wed Stephanie Shorr. Three years were spent in the marriage. Thomas Bolyn Smothers was born into the couple’s family before it terminated in 1967.

He persisted in looking for a second marriage despite the fact that his previous marriage ended in divorce. In 1974, he wed Rochelle Robley. The marriage only lasted a year before things started to fall apart. They split up in 1976. Marcy Carriker, his current wife, is his wife. In 1990, the pair took their wedding vows. She gave birth to a boy and a daughter, Bo Smothers and Riley Rose. 

Aside from the ladies he married, there are rumors that the elderly comic had other relationships in the past. In the late 1960s, it was said that he dated Farrah Fawcett, an actress. For her part in Charlie’s Angels, she was highly recognized. Additionally, He spent a few months with Barbra Streisand, a singer and stage actress. She rose to fame because of the Funny Girl production that ran on Broadway.

Also Read Letitia Wright Gay: Party Video Raises Doubt On Her Sexuality! What Is Black Panther Star’s Net Worth?

Kyrsten Sinema has embattled a lot to gain such success. However, fighting for the rights of the LGBT community, women’s rights, and same-sex marriage, she made a headline after Sinema announced her sexuality. Is Kyrsten Sinema Gay? Well, people know quite well. But if you don’t, then here’s everything you should know about the famous U.S. politician. However, before that, let’s see how she entered the political world and what her career was before joining this world.

Kyrsten Sinema Early Life

Born on July 12, 1976, in Tucson, Kyrsten Sinema is the daughter of Marilyn and Dan Sinema. She has a younger sister and an older brother. Kyrsten’s father was an attorney. However, her parents separated when she was a kid, and her mother won custody of the children. Later her mom remarried, and they all moved to DeFuniak Springs, Florida. But her stepfather lost his job after the bank foreclosed. So the family was forced to live in an abandoned gas station.

Sinema revealed that the family had no electricity for three years while they stayed there. She also mentioned that her stepfather made bunked bed for her and her sister. But according to The New York Times journalist Jonathan Martin, Sinema’s mother and stepfather have filed court documents pointing they had enough money to pay phone, electricity, and gas bills.

Educational Life

Sinema graduated from Walton High School as valedictorian at age 16. She enrolled in Brigham Young University (B.Y.U.) and graduated with B.A. at age 18. She later returned to Arizona. In 1999 she graduated from Arizona State University with a Master of Social Work degree. Later in 2004, she studied in Arizona State University College of Law with a J.D. degree. She then earned a Ph.D. in justice studies from there. She graduated from the W.P. Carey School of Business at A.S.U. with an online M.B.A.

Kyrsten Sinema Career

After graduating in 2004, she started working as a criminal defense lawyer after working as an adjunct professor teaching master’s level policy. In the same year, she joined the political party named the Arizona Democratic Party and called herself a Prada socialist. In early 2000 instead of joining any political party, she ran as an independent for local elected officers and lost. She started criticizing capitalism which The Arizona Republic published. Sinema continued to protest World Bank, Joe Lieberman’s unsuccessful 2004 presidential bid, and the World Trade Organization.

While Sinema was in the Green Party, she worked to repeal the death penalty and organized antiwar protests when she was a local spokesperson. She also opposed the war in Afghanistan. She continued to protest in Patriots Square Park in Phoenix. The group was portrayed as a U.S. service member inflicting U.S. terror in the Middle East and Iraq. In the same year, Sinema shared her opinion that both the Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan were Osama lovers and the real Saddam. Sinema also pointed out her contradictory thought about the Taliban and fighting on its behalf.

Kyrsten Sinema’s First Party

In 2004, Sinema joined the Democratic Party. She and David Lujan secured two seats for Arizona’s seat. Later she was reelected three times in a row. In 2010, she defeated Republican Bob Thomas and was elected to the Arizona Senate. She then finished the John F. Kennedy School of Government program at Harvard University. In 2009 and 2010, Sinema joined the Democratic Caucus of the Arizona House of Representatives as an assistant Minority Leader. However, the question remains is; what is Kyrsten Sinema’s sexuality?

She Became The U.S. House Of Representatives

In 2011, Sinema considered running for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was told not to challenge another Democrat in a primary. In the 9th congressional district, she dropped her bid for Congress. However, David Schweikert was reelected for the 6th district. Although Sinema couldn’t resign from the State Senate seat because of the law, she still left her candidacy the same day.

She later ran against Vernon Parker, the Republican nominee. Sinema later won the general election and later shifted toward the political center. She then amassed a moderate-Democratic voting record. She also worked for the DREAM Act and was one of four Democrats who gave the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Sinema worked in an advisory role for businesses, banks, and credit unions.

Sinema Ran For U.S. Senate

In September 2017, Sinema ran for the Class 1 U.S. Senate after Jeff Flake retreated. She then donated a huge amount in campaign contributions. Previously she had donated $53,400 to the campaign for a site called Backpage. However, later it was found out that the site accepts ads for sex with underage girls. She continued to raise campaigns for others too. But is Senator Kyrsten Sinema gay? keep reading to find out.

Sinema’s Controversial StandOut

Kyrsten Sinema Took Stand For Women’s Right

In 2018, Sinema supported women’s rights to choose an absorption. Later she won a percentage of support as people helped her and marched against the anti-abortion organization. She later endorsed a political committee focused on the abortion-rights until 2022. However, she asked for the change as she believed this campaign affected women’s health. So in June 2022, she came up with a completely different statement.

Is Kyrsten Sinema Gay?

Kyrsten Sinema openly emerged as gay and bisexual after their first public comment in 2005 was revealed. In his speech, one of the officials insulted LGBT people. In response, she stated that “we’re people like everyone,” and she passionately declared that everything is the same and they are also normal people. Further, Sinema commented that she’s bisexual and has become the first openly bisexual member of the House. The following year she told in an interview, she showcased her support for the LGBT community.

Sinema Introduced Advanced LGBT Rights

After this revealtion, Sinema came up with advancing LGBT rights. She was among those officials who asked for the amendment to the Arizona state constitution that has banned civil unions and same-sex marriages. However, her proposal failed. But she continued to support same-sex marriage and proposed again.

Kyrsten Sinema Net Worth

Being a public figure and politician Kyrsten Sinema has a net worth of $11 million. She has been supporting many campaigns and running for many positions. However, with hard work and progression, she amassed a huge source of income through her independent parties and endorsements. Stay tuned. TechRadar247 will keep you updated.

As per the reports, the famous US Sports reporter Grant Wahl died during the quarterfinal match of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Well, fans love Grant for his unique and brilliant reporting skills, especially for his soccer game. However, the nation was still in shock when they heard about the shocking demise of Wahl. Soon everyone started writing on social media and sharing their views. Many believed that his death was fragmented and had something to do with his latest issue. Also, the reason why Wahl caught the limelight at the start of the world cup brought in one question. Is Grant Wahl gay? Keep reading to know more.

Early Life

Born on December 8, 1974, in Mission, US, Grant Wahl enrolled in Shawnee Mission East High School. He was an Eagle Scout during his school year. Later he graduated from Princeton University and studied Bachelor of Arts in Politics in 1996. During his freshman year, he covered an article on the Princeton Tigers men’s soccer team, where Bob Bradley coached him. Grant was supposed to manage the United States national team and Major League Soccer teams.

Later, Bradley offered Wahl an opportunity to study abroad in Argentina. He spent time there with Boca Juniors before returning to his country for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Wahl stated that Bradley encouraged him and appeared as the stepping stone in his life for developing his love for the sport.

Grant Wahl Career

Wahl started his career at the Miami Herald as an intern in 1996. After then, he joined Sports Illustrated, covering college soccer as well as basketball news in November 1996. In his career, he reported on eight FIFA men’s World Cups, 12 NCAA basketball tournaments, five Olympic games, and four FIFA Women’s World Cups. However, he gained fame for his cover story “Where’s Daddy?” where he covered professional athletes’ growing number of illegitimate children.

Since then, he has covered various profiles and stories on athletes. Soon the US Basketball Writers Association gave him four Magazine Story of the year awards. Later Sports Illustrated promoted him to the senior writer in October 2000. He then mostly covered soccer articles for both SI.com and the magazine. He covered 2002 articles on then-high school player LeBron James, including 50 cover stories for the magazine. In October 2012, Wahl joined FOX Sports as he participated in the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament coverage.

SI Fired Grant Wahl

The following year, SI launched a soccer section named “Planet Futbol,” with Grant handling the section. However, during the COVID-pandemic, CEO James Heckman fired Grant from Sports Illustrated after he criticized the magazine’s publisher, Maven, for the pay cuts during the pandemic. Shortly after, James criticized Grant’s work and behavior for not volunteering in the permanent pay cut. After leaving the company, the famous sports writer joined CBS Sports on October 5, 2021. There he joined as an analyst and soon became the editorial consultant for documentaries of soccer to air on Paramount+.

Wahl’s Independent Newsletter

Soon after joining CBS Sports, Wahl came up with his independent newsletter named Futbol with Grant on Substack for his existing podcast in August 2021. In 2020, he released a podcast on Freddy Adu’s career that Blue Wire Media later distributed.

Wahl Ran For President Of The FIFA

Back in February 2011, Wahl declared a possible bid for the president of FIFA in the forthcoming election. However, he withdrew before the official deadline. It happened after he failed to earn a football association’s endorsement. So he was forced to retreat as the process required the approval of around five associations.

Personal Life

Is Grant Wahl Gay?

Since Grant promotes and supports LGBTQ, fans questioned whether Grant Wahl is Gay. However, it was a rumor. Grant married Celine Gounder, an American Infectious Disease Specialist, Medical Journalist specialist. However, he had a brother named Eric Wahl, who was openly gay. On the other hand, Wahl lives with his wife, child, and two dogs.

The President of Honduras Apologized To Grant Wahl

In October 2009, Wahl went to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to cover the fourth round of FIFA World Cup qualification of 2010. But while covering the news, someone robbed him in the daylight. At that time, he was interviewing interim Honduran president Robert Micheletti. He later apologized to him for this incident.

Grant Wahl’s Controversial Death

Detained While Reporting

While covering FIFA World Cup 2022, Wahl was caught in a serious issue. The Qatar government detained him for about 25 minutes as he wore a T-shirt featuring a rainbow in LGBT community support. So he was sent outside the stadium for his outfit. Meanwhile, another reporter for The New York Times got a brief detainment by Qatari officials for the same. He criticized Qatar organizing committee’s leader in his last issue on December 8, 2022, titled “They Just Don’t Care.” In this issue, he wrote about the leaders’ apathy toward the death of migrant laborers at the construction site.

Grant Died Amid Quarterfinal Match

While covering the quarterfinal match between the Netherlands and Argentina, Wahl suddenly fainted at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in the press box on December 9, 2022. Local paramedics rushed to treat him, and it took 30 minutes to treat him, including CPR, before shifting him to the local hospital, as per his wife’s statement. Wahl died a day after his 48th birthday. The reason behind his death remains unclear. However, days before his death, Wahl complained of chest discomfort. He also sought medical help, which told him that he could have bronchitis.

Wahl wrote before his death that his body finally broke down. Three weeks of high stress, little sleep, and work changed everything. He had been cold over the last ten days, which became more severe on the night of the game.”I could feel my upper chest take on a new new level of discomfort and pressure.” Wahl continued, “I went into the main media center today and they said I probably have bronchitis.” They gave him antibiotics, but it wasn’t a good help.

Eric Wahl Believed Grant Was Killed

Grant’s brother Eric Wahl revealed that his brother Grant had received death threats after his controversial issue. So he believed his brother was killed at the hand of the Qatari government officials. Eric mentioned that his brother was fully healthy and had no such health issues before the match. He said that murdering a journalist is a violation of human rights. If the ongoing investigations and autopsy find the government of Qatar is to be blamed, then as per the source, the United States could boycott the remaining tournament.

Further, his death was subject to medical negligence. It also suggests the lack of appropriate infrastructure to deal with a medical emergency. His fans quickly pointed out that Wahl sent to the nearby hospital by Uber, not by ambulance. So people questioned why there was no ambulance at that time. Moreover, Wahl mentioned that the medical care said he probably had severe bronchitis. Yet it never helped him.

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Absolutely bone chilling stuff

Soccer journalist Grant Wahl who was kicked out of a stadium in QATAR for this shirt has reportedly collapsed and passed away during the Argentina game today

His brother says on Instagram that Grant was fully healthy & believes there’s foul play pic.twitter.com/t47C2XfuVl

— JACK SETTLEMAN (@jacksettleman) December 10, 2022

Grant Wahl’s Net Worth

Grant is known for his best coverage of sports, especially soccer. According to the source, his net worth has estimated to be $11 million. After he joined FOX Sports, he got a lucrative offer. He earned an annual income of $64,577. However, despite being a popular sports writer, he died at 48, and his death still remained the big question.

What do you think did the Qatari government foul play behind Grant Wahl’s mysterious death? Has it something to do with Grant’s last issue? Comment down your thoughts below. Stay tuned. TechRadar247 will keep you updated.