Ex-girlfriend of Why Don’t We singer Jack Avery accused in murder-for-hire plot

The ex-girlfriend of Jack Avery, a member of the boy band Why Don’t We, has been accused of hiring a hit man to murder the singer amid what prosecutors are calling a “bitter custody dispute” over the former couple’s daughter. Gabriela Gonzalez, an influencer with nearly five 500,000 followers, was charged in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday with one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. Prosecutors allege that Gonzalez, with the help of her father Francisco Gonzalez and her then-boyfriend Kai Faron Cordrey, hired a hitman to kill Avery sometime between 2020 and 2021. 

Gonzalez and Avery were embroiled in a custody battle over their seven-year-old daughter, Lavender. In spring 2021, Gonzalez told others that Avery was an “unfit” and “dangerous” parent, expressing that she wanted sole custody of their child. Cordrey, a surf instructor, allegedly helped Gonzalez use the dark web and Bitcoin to stage a murder disguised as a car crash. Prosecutors claim that Gonzalez’s father sent funds to her and Cordrey for that purpose in April 2021. Cordrey was later arrested after allegedly speaking to a police officer disguised as a hitman in September of that year. During her arraignment this week, Gonzalez’s bail was set at $2 million, and she was ordered not to discuss the case on social media. Her attorney is challenging the no-social-media mandate.

In a statement, Avery wrote, “A few days ago, three individuals were arrested in connection with an alleged plot to kill me. One of those individuals is the mother of my daughter,” alongside a picture of him and Lavender. Avery is no stranger to conflict: Why Don’t We ceased activity in 2022 after legal disputes with a management company led to the band losing the rights to its name. Avery has since attempted a solo career.

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