EXCLUSIVE and UPDATED: Brittney Griner will attend tonight’s White House Correspondent Association dinner, which brings together a roster of sports and entertainment celebrities, media figures and politicians.
The WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, whose arrest and detention in Russia last year prompted a diplomatic effort by the State Department to seek her release, will be a guest on CBS News, according to the broadcaster. She will attend with her wife Cherelle.
In her speech, Tamara Keith, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, plans to discuss the current imprisonment in Russia of another figure: Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal, who has been jailed since last month. Members of his family are expected at the event. Griner spoke to reporters about his arrest earlier this week. “No one should be in these circumstances without a doubt,” she said, according to the New York Times.
Others expected to attend the WHCA include Benjamin Hall, the Fox News correspondent who was seriously injured last year while covering the first weeks of the war in Ukraine. He will hold an exclusive interview with Foreign Minister Antony Blinken on Monday Special report with Bret Baier tonight. This will be Hall’s first major assignment for the network since his injury.
CNN’s guests include Yulia Navalnaya and Dasha Navalnaya, the wife and daughter of Alexey Navalny. Other guests include Governor Chris Sununu, Justin Theroux, Lena Headey, J. Smith-Cameron, Zooey Deschanel, Jonathan Scott and Tiesto.
Walt Disney Co. ABC News guest CEO Bob Iger is also expected to be among the CEOs in attendance, according to sources.
In the Washington Hilton’s cavernous ballroom, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden sit at the staff table with Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden will perform some stand-up material — expect jokes about Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News and perhaps Disney’s fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — while Comedy Central’s Roy Wood Jr. will be the main entertainer.
CBS News, which first reported Griner’s release in December as part of a US-Russia prisoner swap, also had FBI Director Chris Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the guest list, along with Paramount Global Chairman Shari Redstone and CBS President and CEO George Wange. CBS News and Paramount’s BET, Comedy Central and Pluto TV brands are hosting an after-party at the residence of French Ambassador Laurent Bili. Like other news organizations, the network has a pre-cocktail reception at the Hilton.
The schedule of WHCA events and expected guests is here.
The weekend got off to a good start Friday night, with government officials, lawmakers and journalists venturing out to a series of DC events despite the day’s downpour.
Axios and Live Nation hosted one of the bigger events, a party at the National Building Museum featuring a performance by Lainey Wilson.
Among those attending UTA’s annual party in Fiola Mare was client Don Lemon after he left CNN earlier this week. Also seen: CNN’s Chris Licht, anchor Jim Acosta, White House communications director Ben LaBolt, Tennessee state representative Justin Jones, and Liev Schreiber.
CAA had an event at The Henri earlier in the evening that was attended by CNN’s Emhoff, Dana Bash and Wolf Blitzer, and NBC News’ Peter Alexander. Also seen: former Metropolitan Police officer and CNN contributor Michael Fanone.
There is more to come.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
