Although viewers may not have realized it, the keyboardist for Macy Gray was forced to turn his t-shirt inside out when performing live for the Today Show. The t-shirt that the artist was wearing said “Free Britney Griner” across the chest, which the head honchos at NBC did not like. The shirt included the words in bold white letters across the front, but viewers of the Today Show simply saw the keyboardist wearing a plain black shirt because he had been asked to flip it inside out for the on-air performance.
Keyboardist Billy Wes wore the t-shirt because he wanted to show his support of Britney Griner. He appeared at the NBC studio in New York City, ready to show the world the bold message on his t-shirt. However, the people in charge of the Today Show refused to let him wear the t-shirt on the program, asking him to turn it inside out instead.
Wes told TMZ that the people in charge of the show “said I couldn’t wear it” on the air. It’s not exactly clear what person told Wes not to wear the shirt; however, it is clear that this person was an authority figure on the Today Show.
In response to the incident, both Wes and Gray have not indicated the exact reason why he was not allowed to wear the t-shirt on the program. However, Macy Gray said, “I don’t think it’s political.”
“It’s a human being that’s in a really horrible situation, and there are people that have the power to do something about it, and that’s what they should do,” Macy Gray added.
Wes wore the t-shirt on the same day Britney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges while in Russia. She now faces up to ten years in a tough Russian prison because of the offense. Griner, who is a star of the WNBA, has been held in Russian custody since February. Now, people like Wes are trying to put pressure on the Biden Administration to secure her release back to the United States, which is her home country.
Griner pleaded guilty in court on Thursday. It was the second day of her trial.
“I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” Griner said in English, which was translated to Russian for the court.
Griner was caught carrying two vape cartridges containing cannabis oil while traveling through the Moscow airport. Russian authorities have held her in custody since they caught her with marijuana, which has been decriminalized in many states across the United States. Russia, however, continues to crack down hard on people who use marijuana.
On Wednesday, President Biden called Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, and claimed that he was doing what he could to secure the WBNA player’s release from a Russian prison. Biden had received a letter from Griner in which she expressed her worry that Russian authorities might never let her return home.
Unfortunately, Vladimir Putin might not want to cooperate to help release the player.