Former Why Don’t We singer Jack Avery has spoken out after his ex-girlfriend was charged over a conspiracy plot to murder him.
Earlier this week, the TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, who shares a child with Avery, was charged in California for conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and solicitation to commit murder. Her father Francisco Gonzalez was also charged, as was the surf instructor Kai Cordrey.
Gonzalez, a 24-year-old content creator known for posts about travel, lifestyle and motherhood, allegedly attempted to hire a hit man on the dark web to kill her former partner.
Now, Avery has posted on social media to address the situation. “A few days ago, three individuals were arrested in connection with an alleged plot to kill me,” he wrote. “One of those individuals is the mother of my daughter.
“For years, my family and I have endured intense public scrutiny, false accusations, and deeply painful attacks on our character and reputation. Throughout that time, I chose to remain silent out of respect for the legal process and, most importantly, for my daughter.”
He continued: “Right now, my focus is on being the best father I can be. I’m thankful to have sole custody of my daughter, Lavender, who is safe, healthy, and deeply loved. I look forward to continuing to build a peaceful and stable life for her.”
“I also want to express my sincere gratitude to my family, friends, law enforcement, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for their support throughout this process.”
“And finally, to everyone who has supported me and withheld judgment while the truth unfolded, thank you. Always seek the truth,” he concluded.
Per an affidavit, the alleged murder-for-hire plot stemmed from a lengthy custody and visitation dispute over Gonzalez and Avery’s shared child.
Gonzalez’s father, a lawyer based in Miami, became “deeply involved” in the custody battle, according to investigators. They claimed that Francisco attempted to “discredit, monitor and remove Avery” from the family.
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that Francisco said words “to the effect that it would be cheaper if Avery were dead”, and had acted hostile toward the singer.
Cordrey allegedly became involved around March 2021. At the time, Francisco started communicating with him about hiring someone to threaten or harass Avery, prosecutors claimed.
Gabbie is said to have portrayed Avery as an “unfit” and “dangerous” father to their child during custody proceedings. She allegedly talked about wanting him dead and discussed hiring a hit man.
Later, Gabbie and Cordrey are claimed to have spoken about using the dark web and Bitcoin to arrange the murder. The pair allegedly said they could stage Avery’s death to look like a car accident.
US boyband Why Don’t We were active between 2016 and 2022, releasing two studio albums: ‘8 Letters’ (2018) and ‘The Good Times And The Bad Ones’ (2021).
The group went on hiatus due to a legal dispute with their former management company, and cancelled their scheduled tour. They officially lost the rights to the Why Don’t We name in February of last year.
