Jay Glazer Surprises Shoshana Johnson with Curney Russell Reunion

LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2024 – Jay Glazer, national television personality, Fox NFL Insider, best-selling author and host of “Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental WEALTH Podcast,” set up the first-ever, in-person reunion between former Iraq War POW Shoshana Johnson and her rescuer, U.S. Marine Curney Russell.

Retired U.S. Army Specialist Johnson, the first U.S. black female prisoner of war, was among the members of the Army’s 507th Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss who were captured in Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23, 2003, and held for 22 days. Russell was part of the U.S. Marine squad who rescued Johnson and six other American soldiers who were held hostage.

Johnson and Russell have not seen each other in person since the rescue operation in 2003. Glazer, who previously interviewed Johnson and Russell for his “Unbreakable” podcast, made a promise to get them in the same room so they could see each other once again. With this past Saturday marking the 21st anniversary of Johnson’s capture, she and Russell were invited to Glazer’s home for a special reunion.

“These are two of the most amazing, courageous, inspirational people I’ve ever met, and I made a promise during our first podcast to reunite them,” said Glazer. “This was about keeping my promise, but it turned into something even more beautiful. Seeing them connect after all these years was incredible. Plus, two other members of their unit came to surprise Shoshana. It was an absolutely magical reunion!”

Watch the reunion HERE. 

Watch a clip of Johnson seeing Russell for the first time in 21 years HERE.

Johnson and Russell are also featured on this week’s episode of “Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental WEALTH Podcast” for a follow-up conversation to their interview last November. Tune in today to hear: how close Johnson was to being executed; how the terrorists performed surgery on her and made her sign a waiver; how Johnson kept mentally strong in captivity; the reaction Russell’s children had to his story; the strength Russell gets from Johnson, even today; why their story didn’t come out sooner; their personal first-hand accounts of the recue, and much more. 

Johnson and Russell’s “Unbreakable” interview is available now on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. Listen HERE. 

For past Unbreakable interviews with some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and beyond, including Guy Fieri, Sean McVay, Michael Phelps, Lindsey Vonn, Josh Altman, Bret Michaels, Kenneth Cole, Terry Bradshaw, David Spade, Ed Mylett, Lewis Howes, Howie Long, Freddy Prinze Jr., and many others, click HERE.

About Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental WEALTH Podcast

“Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental WEALTH Podcast” is an extension of Jay Glazer’s widely-acclaimed, best-selling book “Unbreakable.” The podcast features Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer as he shares his personal mental health journey with the audience, including the tools and techniques he’s developed to “live in the gray” – his term for living and thriving with anxiety, depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Welcoming mental health experts, athletes, coaches, celebrities and others, Glazer and his special guests share personal stories of overcoming adversity, the tools they use to incur MENTAL WEALTH, and their paths to success to help motivate, uplift and inspire listeners, and help set them up to win. New episodes are posted on Wednesdays, with frequent check-ins where Glazer updates listeners as he navigates the path to mental wellness. “Unbreakable with Jay Glazer: A Mental WEALTH Podcast” is distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network and is available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. Come, listen, and be inspired by “Unbreakable.” Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen to on your favorite device.