Macy Gray Band Member Not Allowed to Wear ‘Free Britney Griner’ Shirt During Today Show Performance
Macy Gray’s keyboardist was told to turn a “FREE BRITTNEY GRINER” t-shirt inside out before a Thursday performance on The Today Show, the bandmate and singer told TMZ this week.
Keyboardist Billy Wes told TMZ in New York on Thursday that he was told his shirt supporting athlete Brittney Griner had to be turned inside out before the performance. He was filmed arriving at the studio rocking the message on a black shirt. He did not offen an explanation for why they told him he couldn’t sport the message supporting Grinner, who is incarcerated in Russia.
“They made me turn it inside out. They said I couldn’t wear it,” Wes said.
Gray herself later talked to TMZ and said the plan was to wear the shirts, but also did not provide an exact reason for the show not wanting to message displayed.
“That really bummed me out today. That really made me sad,” she said, adding later, “We wanted to wear them on the show and they said because I guess something happened.”
WNBA star Griner has been held by Russian authorities for months after she was accused of drug smuggling over a vape cartridge allegedly holding cannabis oil. She pleaded guilty to the charge this week, but she could face up to 10 years behind bars. Griner previously wrote a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to intervene on the case.
The White House announced Biden has spoken directly with Griner’s wife and promised he is working on her release, as well as the release of other U.S. nationals held in Russian jails.
While Gray was not allowed to make a statement urging her freedom during her Today Show appearance, the show did push her on recent controversial remarks about transgender people, in which the singer said surgery does not make someone a woman.
Gray said she never “meant to hurt anyone” and called the fallout from the comments a “huge learning experience.”
EXCLUSIVE: Macy Gray addresses her controversial comments about gender identity with @hodakotb: “This was a huge learning experience for me.” pic.twitter.com/CTRNOJtsI2
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 7, 2022
