Singer Jack Avery won a five-year restraining order and sole physical custody of his seven-year-old daughter on Wednesday after testifying that he was “very scared” of the girl’s mother, TikTok influencer Gabriela “Gabbie” Gonzalez, who is charged with conspiring to hire a hit man on the dark web to kill him. Judge Brenda Comer Robinson ruled in Avery’s favor after a two-day hearing, finding that Gonzalez had engaged in “clearly manipulative behavior that caused him emotional harm.” The judge also found that the couple’s daughter was “a direct victim of the abuse perpetrated by Ms. Gonzalez.” Still, she said it was in the girl’s best interest to have professionally monitored visits with her mother once an existing criminal protective order permits contact.
Gonzalez, 25, did not testify at the family court hearing. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. Avery took the witness stand Wednesday morning, providing his first live testimony since Gonzalez was arrested in May along with her father, Florida lawyer Francisco Gonzalez, and her former boyfriend, Hawaii surf instructor Kai Cordrey.
Avery told the judge that the FBI first contacted him in 2021 to inform him that Gonzalez was being investigated over an alleged plot to kill him. He said the warning left him fearful for his safety, triggered severe anxiety, and complicated his already contentious custody dispute with Gonzalez. Avery said he missed more than 25 visits with his daughter, who was living with Gonzalez in another state.
I wasn’t aware that they wanted my severed finger with a ring on it after I died,” he testified. He recalled canceling a visit with his daughter shortly after meeting with FBI agents because he was frightened to travel. On a subsequent trip, Avery brought a friend at the FBI’s suggestion.
He said he became alarmed when Gonzalez asked him to meet at a park instead of his usual hotel for a custody exchange. I have panic disorder.” Avery said he’s become fearful of traveling by car and feels harassed by Gonzalez’s mother, who allegedly posted about him on social media and stayed at the same hotel as him during one of his custody visits, despite Gonzalez living about 40 minutes away. They say Gonzalez and Cordrey discussed using bitcoins on the “dark web” and how they hoped to make the hit “appear to be an accident.” Related Content Trump to America: I’ll Only Do My Job if Republicans Win Trump’s Russia Envoy Praises Putin as a Great ‘Humanitarian’ The Nuclear Threat Is Roaring Back, Thanks in Part to Donald Trump Singer Jack Avery Faces Off in Court With Influencer Ex Accused of Dark-Web Plot to Kill Him Francisco allegedly sent Cordrey $10,000 in April 2021 to finance the plot.
Cordrey then transferred the money into a Gemini cryptocurrency account and began communicating with a purported hit man on the dark web, using the alias “LizardKing69,” prosecutors say. On May 22, 2021, Cordrey allegedly identified Avery as the intended target, provided his Los Angeles address, and said he could be killed by whatever method was easiest, including a shooting or staged accident. The purported hit man demanded another $4,000 in June, prompting Cordrey to seek additional money from Francisco, prosecutors claim.
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