A keyboard player in Macy Gray’s band claims he was told not to wear his “Free Brittney Griner” t-shirt when they performed on NBC’s Today Show.
Keyboardist Billy Wes appeared at the show’s studio in New York City on Friday dressed in a black shirt that read “Free Brittney Griner” in bold, white letters across the front, but wore a plain black shirt during the performance.
He was hoping to show his support for Griner, but told TMZ after the show, “They said I couldn’t wear it.”
It’s unclear who told West he wasn’t allowed to wear the shirt. has requested comment from the Today Show.
Both Wes and Gray didn’t reveal why Wes was forced to hide the protest message, although Gray said, “I don’t think it’s political.”
“It’s a human being that’s in a really terrible situation and there are people who have the power to do something about it and they should do something about it,” the singer added.
It happened on the same day that Griner pleaded guilty to drug offenses in Russia and now faces up to 10 years in prison. The WNBA star has been in prison since February, and public pressure is mounting on the Biden administration to secure her release.
Macy Gray and her band, including Billy Wes, appeared on the Today Show that same day. Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in Russia
Billy Wes wears a plain shirt on stage, but was photographed just before the performance with a shirt that said “Free Brittney Griner.”
Gray’s bassist Alex Kyhn posted a photo on Instagram wearing the shirt in question
Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession and smuggling during her trial in Moscow this week but said she had no intention of committing a crime. The WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist is escorted to a courtroom in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia on Thursday, July 7, 2022
In court, Griner pleaded guilty on the second day of her trial.
“I want to plead guilty, Your Honor. But there was no intention. I didn’t want to break the law,” Griner said, speaking English, which was then translated into Russian for the court.
The basketball player was arrested in February after she was caught carrying two e-cartridges containing cannabis oil at a Moscow airport. Since then she has been in custody, her next hearing will take place on July 14.
The White House said President Joe Biden called Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, Wednesday to reassure her that he was doing everything in his power to secure the athlete’s release as soon as possible. They spoke after Biden read a letter from Griner in which she said she feared she would never return home.
However, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has warned that the “hype” surrounding the case is not helping and urged the US to stop correspondence with the basketball player who was recently on trial in Russia.
Vladimir Putin’s government said it would only make a prisoner swap less likely.
“This not only distracts from the case, but also intervenes in the truest sense of the word,” Ryabkov said. “Silence is required here.”
The State Department has labeled Griner wrongly imprisoned and placed her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle, has been assured by President Biden that “he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible,” the White House said in a statement
Meanwhile, Macy Gray also discussed her views on transgender issues on the Today Show following her unreserved interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored earlier this week, in which she said: “Just because you go and change your parts doesn’t make you one Madam, I’m sorry.’
“I never wanted to hurt anyone. I think it takes a lot of courage to be yourself. Everyone who is in the LGBTQ community is a hero,” she told host Hoda Kotb.
“I’ve said some things that didn’t go down well, but it was never my intention to hurt anyone. I feel bad that I hurt some people, and I think it’s about education, conversation, and us getting to a place where we understand each other,” Gray explained.
She added that the backlash was “a huge learning experience for me.”
“You can call yourself what you believe, and nobody can tell you that or take it away from you.
Gray has come under fire for comments about transgender people she made on a show with Piers Morgan. The singer said “changing your parts doesn’t make you a woman,” but has since retracted her statements
Gray told the Today Show that “this has been a huge learning experience for me” and that she “learned a lot” after the Morgan interview
During her Monday night interview with Morgan, Gray said women “have a completely unique experience and ‘surgery and finding yourself’ doesn’t change that.
“Being a little girl is a whole epic book, you know? You can’t have this just because you want to be a woman.’
When Piers pointed out that Harry Potter author JK Rowling had been criticized for her views on trans women, Gray said, “But it’s the truth.”
Adding, “I don’t think you should be called transphobic just because you disagree…there’s a lot of judgment and stone throwing at people just for saying what it is, you know what I mean?”
Gray also faced a backlash online, tweeting Tuesday, “I have nothing but love for LGBT+ and transgender communities. I’ve been a supporter since day one and never a fake one. My testimony about Piers Morgan was BIG misunderstood. I respect everyone’s right to be who they want to be.” She then deleted the tweet.
Singer Macy Gray has responded to her comment that the trans woman on Piers Morgan Uncensored claimed she was “misunderstood.”
On Monday, Gray also retweeted support from author JK Rowling, who said, “Today feels like a good day to make sure I bought Macy Gray’s entire back catalog.”
Rowling, who has herself sparked outrage over anti-transgender statements, supported Gray when the singer faced accusations of “transphobia” following her comments on the show.
Rowling was supportive of the singer, tweeting a screenshot of Gray’s tweet saying the “truth hurts” after broadcaster India Willoughby accused the singer of “killing what’s important to her career” following the Piers Morgan Uncensored interview is left”.