Jack Avery said he chose silence while his ex, Gabriela “Gabbie” Gonzalez, and her father faced allegations tied to a murder-for-hire plot. Avery described years of scrutiny and a custody fight over their 7-year-old daughter, insisting she is safe and that he
Jack Avery’s message landed the same week his former partner was taken into custody: a former member of Why Don’t We, 26, stepped out from behind the legal process and into the glare of public attention.
In a statement posted Thursday, May 21, Avery reflected on years of “intense public scrutiny, false accusations, and deeply painful attacks” that he said targeted him and his family ahead of arrests in an alleged murder-for-hire plot.
Avery said his silence had been deliberate. He wrote that he previously “chose to remain silent out of respect for the legal process and, most importantly, for my daughter.” His focus now, he said, is parenting.
The custody battle he referenced has centered on their 7-year-old daughter, Lavender. Avery described Lavender as “safe. healthy. and deeply loved. ” and said his goal is “to be the best father I can be.” He added that he has sole custody of the child and that he “looks forward to continuing to build a peaceful and stable life for her.”.
Avery ended his statement by thanking “everyone who has supported me and withheld judgment while the truth unfolded,” and he added, “Always seek the truth.” The post included a black-and-white photo of Avery holding Lavender, taken from behind.
The alleged plot is now tied to criminal charges. Gabriela Gonzalez, 24, and her 59-year-old father, Francisco Gonzalez, are facing charges for their alleged role in the murder-for-hire scheme. Investigators pointed to a witness described in a probable cause arrest warrant and affidavit who said the social media personality “repeatedly said she wanted Jack Avery dead and discussed hiring a hitman.”.
Gabriela Gonzalez was booked into a Los Angeles County jail on May 18 and is being held on $2 million bail, according to inmate records reviewed during the case.
The affidavit also alleges Francisco Gonzalez tried to build evidence in the custody dispute by enlisting a private investigator to surveil Avery and collect information “acting in a way that could be used against him.”
Investigators further alleged that the witness said Gabriela Gonzalez paid her alleged co-conspirator, Kai Cordrey, approximately $10,000 in April 2021 to carry out the efforts. The plan, as described in the affidavit, was to stage the efforts as a car accident.
The investigators said they were able to confirm the transaction, and that Cordrey transferred the money to Bitcoin. The affidavit also alleges an additional $4,000 bank transfer in June 2021. Cordrey later confirmed to investigators both the payments and communications with Francisco Gonzalez.
Avery, who had been a member of the teen boy band Why Don’t We from 2016 to 2022, said the band later went defunct after losing rights to their band name.
The sequence of facts surrounding Avery’s statement and the allegations in the affidavit carries a sharp contrast: on one side. Avery’s insistence that the legal process—and his daughter’s well-being—drove his silence; on the other. the warrant description portrays a months-long effort framed around surveillance. payments. and planning that investigators say was tied to custody-related motives.
As the criminal case moves through the system. Avery’s message is now the clearest public marker of how he’s positioning this moment: not around music or fame. but around Lavender’s safety. his claim of sole custody. and his stated determination to “continue to build a peaceful and stable life for her.”.
Jack Avery Gabriela Gabbie Gonzalez murder-for-hire plot Francisco Gonzalez Lavender custody battle Why Don't We Los Angeles County jail $2 million bail Kai Cordrey Bitcoin