Although viewers may not have realized it during the live broadcast, the keyboardist for Macy Gray was quietly forced to turn his t-shirt inside out while performing on the Today Show. What might have seemed like a minor wardrobe adjustment to the casual viewer was actually a deliberate move to prevent a political message from being broadcast on national television.
The t-shirt that Billy Wes, the keyboardist, was wearing bore the message “Free Britney Griner” in bold white letters across the chest—a statement of support for the WNBA star who has been held in Russian custody since February. However, NBC executives and the producers of the Today Show reportedly did not approve of the visible message. As a result, Wes had to flip the t-shirt inside out before going on air, leaving viewers with the impression that he was simply wearing a plain black shirt. In reality, the shirt had carried a strong, clear message advocating for the release of an American athlete facing serious legal and humanitarian challenges abroad.
Billy Wes had chosen the shirt deliberately, wanting to use his platform to highlight Griner’s situation. He appeared at NBC’s New York City studio, ready to perform and simultaneously raise awareness of her case. The t-shirt was meant to send a simple, yet urgent message: Griner is a human being caught in a difficult and potentially life-threatening situation, and the international community, including the United States government, has the power to intervene. But, according to Wes, the Today Show producers “said I couldn’t wear it” on air, prompting the last-minute inside-out switch. While it remains unclear exactly which authority figure at the network issued the instruction, it is evident that someone with considerable decision-making power on the show deemed the message inappropriate for broadcast.
Despite this censorship, both Wes and Macy Gray have addressed the incident with care, choosing to focus on the humanitarian concerns behind the shirt rather than framing it as a political controversy. Gray told media outlets, “I don’t think it’s political,” emphasizing that the focus should remain on Griner’s well-being. She added, “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.” Her statement underscores the fact that the advocacy behind the t-shirt was intended to raise awareness of Griner’s predicament, not to make a partisan statement.
The timing of Wes’s gesture was particularly poignant. On the same day as the Today Show performance, Britney Griner reportedly pleaded guilty to drug charges while in Russia. She now faces the prospect of up to ten years in a Russian prison, a sentence that has alarmed human rights advocates and fans alike. Griner, a prominent WNBA star, has been detained since February, and her case has drawn widespread international attention. By wearing the t-shirt, even briefly, Wes sought to put pressure on both public opinion and governmental action, highlighting the urgent need for the Biden Administration and other officials to negotiate her safe return to the United States.
In addition to the direct advocacy, the incident highlights a broader conversation about the role of artists and performers in raising awareness of international issues. While NBC may have considered the shirt “too political” for broadcast, the intention behind it was to shine a light on the plight of an American citizen facing harsh legal consequences abroad. Wes’s action, though muted by the forced wardrobe change, contributed to ongoing public discourse and kept Griner’s situation in the media spotlight.
Ultimately, the episode illustrates the tension between corporate-controlled media environments and individual acts of advocacy. While viewers at home may have only noticed a plain black shirt, behind the scenes, the performance was an act of solidarity and awareness-raising. It was a reminder that even small gestures—like a t-shirt worn by a musician—can carry powerful messages, especially when timed alongside critical moments in a human rights story. For Wes, Gray, and their audiences, the shirt represented more than clothing; it symbolized a call to action for an American citizen in urgent need of help, a plea for international attention, and a statement that, in the face of injustice, even subtle acts of advocacy matter.