Dennis Rodman intends to to aid the release of Brittney Griner.

The 61-year-old retired basketball player, who is currently in the midst of a US tour promoting his new book, told TMZ that he was “trying to get Brittney out” and had been in touch with her family.

“I’m just trying to help a human being out that’s in distress,” Rodman said. “No matter what the situation is, no matter if she’s guilty or not guilty, that shouldn’t happen to anybody.”

Rodman added that he planned to fly out to Russia “very soon”, although it is unclear how exactly he intends to help Griner.

The 31-year-old basketball player was arrested in Russia in December 2019 after she was accused of assaulting two people in a Moscow hotel room. Brittney Griner is a six-foot-eight-inch center for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA who has played in Russia since 2019.

She was sentenced to nine years in prison in August 2020, but has maintained her innocence and is said to be “desperate” to return home to the United States.

Rodman, who is friends with both Griner and Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been working behind the scenes to secure her release. He even went so far as to reach out to Biden on Twitter, asking him to help get Griner “out of jail in Russia.”

It is unclear what role, if any, Rodman will play in Griner’s release. However, his involvement is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts, according to a senior administration official. The official stressed that the State Department is working diligently to secure her release but declined to comment on specific diplomatic efforts.

Griner’s family and friends have started a campaign called “#Free Brittney” in an attempt to secure her release, and have so far raised over $100,000. It is unclear if Rodman has any connection to Griner or her family, but he did visit Russia in 2013 as part of a basketball diplomacy trip.

Rodman has been outspoken in his support for US President Donald Trump, and in 2017 he visited North Korea on a highly publicized trip.

Now, Dennis Rodman - who has been outspoken about his support for marijuana legalization in the past - is hoping to help Griner get out of Russia entirely. “I’m working on Brittney’s case right now to try and get her home,” Rodman told TMZ Sports. “I’m just trying to do everything I can to get her home.”

Rodman has not elaborated on how exactly he plans to help Griner, but it’s clear that he’s serious about getting her out of Russia and back to the United States. “Brittney’s case is very important to me, and I’m doing everything I can to help her,” he said. “I hope that she’ll be home soon.”