Kehinde Wiley Accused Of Sexual Assault By Fellow Artist During 2021 Ghanian Dinner

Kehinde Wiley, the acclaimed artist renowned for his famous portrait of former President Barack Obama, has denied allegations of sexual assault made by another artist, who claims the incident occurred in 2021, according to a report from The Washington Post.

“Someone I had a brief, consensual relationship with almost three years ago is now making a false accusation about our time together,” Wiley wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday. “These claims are not true and are an affront to all victims of sexual abuse.”

He continued, “I have no idea why he has decided to target me in this way — particularly when there is a litany of evidence showing his claims are false — but I hope he gets the help he needs for whatever he is going through. I kindly ask for privacy as I work to clear my name.”

Wiley made the statement the same day British-Ghanaian artist and curator Joseph Awuah-Darko took to Instagram, stating that the 47-year-old had allegedly assaulted him twice in 2021. The first incident happened on June 9, 2021, at a dinner held at the Noldor Artist Residency in Ghana, which Awuah-Darko founded in 2020.

In the post, Awuah-Darko said Wiley “inappropriately groped” him and “proceeded to grab my buttocks” while also making lewd comments in front of another guest at the event. Additionally, he said they did not know each other long enough for him to act in such a manner.

“The act was categorically unwelcome and unprovoked,” he wrote. “Wiley had barely known me for more than two hours by this point.”

“It was done by a critically celebrated artist who knew the power he wielded and seemed clearly prepared to abuse it,” he wrote. “Nevertheless, I placated the situation with awkward humour and the dinner subsequently continued.”

Awuah-Darko characterized the second incident as notably “severe and violent.” He admitted not immediately recognizing it as sexual assault, a response often shared by other victims who come to realize it only later. However, the strict laws against LGBTQ+ groups in Ghana also influenced his decision to remain silent about it. 

The New York Times reported that Wiley’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist order to Awuah-Darko, demanding he remove his Instagram posts that are “categorically false and defamatory” toward their client. 

On Monday, Awuah-Darko posted on his Instagram Stories that he plans to sue Wiley over the alleged incidents. 

As Blavity reported, Wiley is known for paintings of Black people, especially Black men, in a humanizing way. However, it wasn’t until he was selected to paint Obama’s official portrait that he gained widespread fame.