Christian artist GAWVI released from Reach Records amid allegation of unsolicited explicit photos
Reach Records announced Monday that the company has ended its professional relationship with Christian hip-hop artist and producer GAWVI after his divorce announcement led to accusations that the artist sent unsolicited explicit photos to other women while still married.
GAWVI was gearing up to head out on the We Are Unashamed Tour with his former label mates Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee, Tedashii, 1K Phew, Wande, WHATUPRG and Hulvey, but the recent statement revealed that he is no longer participating.
“Due to behavior that is inconsistent with our core values, we have ended our professional relationship with GAWVI,” Reach Records wrote in a statement shared with The Christain Post.
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“This was a tough decision for us because of the level of complexity and because we invest in our artists not just for their talent, but also as brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Reach Records had been “processing” the decision for “over a year and have wrestled with what would be the right way forward.”
Over the weekend, Gawvi reportedly took to Instagram and revealed that his marriage to wife Brianna Azucena ended in 2020 after nearly six years. The couple have two small children together.
A snapshot of his now-deleted post read, “We did everything we could to make it work for years, but after seeking the support of friends, family and counseling, I came to an extremely hard decision to move forward in a direction that I felt would be healthiest. There is no scandal to gossip about, just 2 adults that made decisions that lead to this point. And if you know me, you know I hate divorce and I’m not here to promote it.”
After GAWVI went public with his divorce, the label said new details came to light and made them realize the decision was “necessary.”
Visual artist and designer Cataphant spoke out on Twitter to defend her friend Azucena following the producer’s post.
The designer accused GAWVI of sending explicit photos to several women and claimed everyone knew what was happening because of how poorly he covered up his tracks.
“Years ago I made album artwork for @gawvi,” she tweeted. “For my next project I’m going to make a collage of all the unasked for d– pics he sent to women while he was still married.”
“I did this because I’m standing up for my friend who was incorrectly represented in that lying *** statement that painted a false picture of why Gawvi LEFT his wife for someone else,” she added.
The Christian Post reached out to GAWVI for a statement, but an immediate response was not received.
Reach Records ended its statement, ensuring supporters that the label wishes the best for GAWVI and all parties involved.
“We also want our actions to be a reflection of love, care, and concern for those who fail and those who are affected by our failures,” the statement concluded. “Each of us needs God’s grace and we invite you to pray for the families and individuals whose lives are being impacted. This is not a chance to throw anybody away. We continue to hope for restoration to be the outcome.”
