Kehinde Wiley, a famous American painter, has been accused of sexual assault by Joseph Awuah-Darko, a British-born Ghanaian artist.
While Wiley has firmly denied these accusations, Awuah-Darko shared his claims on Instagram, describing two incidents that he said happened at a dinner in 2021, organized in Wiley’s honour by Ghana’s Creative Art Council at the Noldor Artist Residency.
In his post, Awuah-Darko said Wiley first touched him inappropriately by groping his buttocks while showing him to a bathroom. He claimed the second incident was much worse and violent.
In a phone interview with the New York Times, Awuah-Darko explained that a consensual sexual encounter turned violent when it moved to a bedroom. He said Wiley forced himself on him despite his clear refusal to continue.
Wiley responded on Instagram, denying the accusations. He stated, “Someone I had a brief, consensual relationship with almost three years ago is now making a false accusation about our time together. These claims are not true and are an affront to all victims of sexual abuse.”
Joseph Awuah-Darko is known as an artist, musician, and curator, and he collects contemporary African and diaspora art, while Kehinde Wiley, born in Los Angeles, is best known for his 2018 portrait of Barack Obama.
No criminal charges have been filed against Wiley. However, Wiley’s lawyers have sent Awuah-Darko a cease and desist letter, demanding he remove his Instagram post and stop making further statements against Wiley.
