New York-based Obama portrait artist Kehinde Wiley has been accused of sexual assault and rape by a mounting number of men.
Earlier this week, activist Derrick Ingram alleged that Wiley raped him and sexually assaulted him in 2021. United Kingdom-based artist Nathaniel Lloyd Richards accused Wiley of inappropriate touching and groping during in 2019 and Terrell Armistead has accused Wiley of rape.
Last month, Ghanaian artist Joseph Awuah-Darko stated that Wiley assaulted him twice at an event in Ghana in 2021.
Wiley took to Instagram Tuesday to insist that all of these accusations are all untrue.
“I need to set the record straight about false claims made against me,” Wiley wrote regarding Awuah-Darko. “My accuser’s disturbing allegations are baseless and defamatory. And, while I’ve largely stayed silent, I must bring the truth about how he has pursued me over the years to light.”
“We had a one time encounter. Everything was consensual,” Wiley continued. He stated that Awuah-Darko was “aggressively pursuing” him for years and even flew from the UK to Nigeria to attend his birthday party. Wiley painted Awuah-Darko as seemingly obsessive and stated that his claims were “unhinged” and “false.”
Wiley also addressed the rest of his accusers in the post.
“What is motivating these individuals to hurl these disgusting accusations? Money? Fame? An insatiable need for attention? Who knows…. We live in a world where a single false social media post can destroy someone’s life, where people are tried and convicted online without regard for the truth.
“This is dangerous and wrong,” Wiley said. “I encourage all who read this post to take a closer look at my accusers and their motivations.” Wiley’s lawyer, Jennifer Barrett, said that her client “intends to pursue every avenue available to him, legal and otherwise, to defend his reputation.”