Former Why Don't We member Jack Avery is speaking publicly for the first time after prosecutors accused TikTok influencer Gabriela Gonzalez and two others of participating in an alleged murder-for-hire plot tied to a years-long custody dispute over the pair’s daughter.
In a statement shared to Instagram, Avery said he now has sole custody of 7-year-old Lavender and is focused on protecting his family after what he described as years of public attacks and legal turmoil.
“Right now, my focus is on being the best father I can be,” Avery wrote, per KTLA. “I’m thankful to have sole custody of my daughter, Lavender, who is safe, healthy, and deeply loved.” The singer also said he stayed quiet for years “out of respect for the legal process and, most importantly, for my daughter.”
The statement arrived one day after the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced charges against Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, and Kai Cordrey. Prosecutors allege the three attempted to orchestrate a plan to kill Avery during a custody battle that stretched across 2020 and 2021.
According to investigators, Francisco Gonzalez allegedly wired $10,000 to Cordrey as upfront payment for the plot, with an additional request for thousands more later that year.
Authorities say the investigation eventually involved an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman. Prosecutors allege Cordrey discussed payment details, timing, and proof of death during conversations with the agent.
All three defendants have been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. If convicted, each could face 25 years to life in prison.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the case as the result of a lengthy FBI-led investigation before charges were ultimately filed locally. “This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder,” Hochman said in a statement announcing the arrests.
“I stayed in my house for like a month straight,” Avery said at the time. “I was so scared. I was looking out my window every night.”
During that same interview, Avery said the co-parenting relationship between him and Gonzalez had improved, while acknowledging the emotional pressures they faced after becoming parents as teenagers.
Before the legal battle became public, Avery and Gonzalez frequently shared parts of their relationship online. In a 2019 Instagram post announcing Lavender’s birth, Avery called Gonzalez “the most selfless person” he had ever met.
Gonzalez later built a sizable online following through lifestyle, outdoors, and nature-focused content, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers across TikTok and Instagram before largely stepping away from TikTok in 2024.
