WNBA All-Star and former Russian prisoner Brittney Griner found what she thought was a threatening message in her hotel room, prompting her to leave the venue as she feared for her safety.
Turns out, it was a video game reference from a conference for gamers the night before.
Griner, who was staying at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, entered her room and found a piece of duct tape affixed to the wall with the words “Gay Baby Jail” written on it.
Griner dissected all three words and felt they were referencing her. ‘Gay’ because of her preference. ‘Baby’ because she (Pops) just had a baby boy with her wife, Cherelle. And ‘jail’ because she once stayed in a Russian prison until she was traded for a notorious arms dealer.
The WNBA star canceled the speaking event she was scheduled to attend and left the resort.
Wasn’t A Threat Against Brittney Griner
While undoubtedly odd, the message, it turns out, wasn’t a threat against Brittney Griner at all. Rather, it was a phrase commonly known in the nerd/gaming community.
According to Know Your Meme, the phrase began as a humorous term used to refer to a character or person trapped in a jail cell, box, or other punishment location.
And, in fact, police confirmed as much in their investigation of the incident, according to TMZ Sports. They note that Griner was “mortified” after seeing the message.
“Detectives have learned the phrase ‘gay baby jail’ is commonly used as a video game reference,” the Prince George’s County Police Department said. “At the time the tape was located, a large convention was taking place at the Gaylord which attracts thousands of people, many with an interest in anime as well as video game enthusiasts.”
“At this time, detectives have uncovered no link to or threat against the guest who located the tape.”
Brittney Griner backed out of a planned speaking engagement this week — after she found a note in her hotel room that she took as a threat. pic.twitter.com/x11BKzHU1R
— TMZ (@TMZ) February 19, 2025
RELATED: WNBA Star Brittney Griner Says She Wants New Baby Boy To Call Her ‘Pops’
An Unfortunate Misunderstanding
It’s good that everybody can look back on this incident and have a little bit of a laugh. We’re glad there was no threat to Brittney Griner.
Still, it seems that the conference she was slated to speak at, Women Grow, an organization focused on female leaders in the marijuana industry, still wanted to make it an issue.
“We are actively working with the venue and authorities to investigate how this happened and hold those responsible accountable,” the group’s CEO, Chanda Macias said. “The safety of every woman at this conference remains our top priority.”
“Our commitment to empowering women in cannabis is stronger than ever,” Macias added. “We will not be silenced. We will continue on.”
Vowing to never be silenced by video game nerds who wouldn’t know Brittney Griner from a hole in the wall is super-empowering, you see.
Griner was arrested in Russia in February 2022 on drug charges for possessing cannabis oil. She was sentenced to 9 years in prison after pleading guilty, claiming it was an accident.
Griner was released in December 2022 as part of a prisoner swap in which the U.S. exchanged her for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
‘Pops’ is a WNBA champion and ten-time All-Star.
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