Obama presidential portrait artist accused of sexual assault in Instagram post
The celebrated American painter behind President Barack Obama’s official portrait has denied allegations of sexual assault made against him over the weekend.
Kehinde Wiley was accused of sexual assault by British Ghanaian artist Joseph Awuah-Darko. Awuah-Darko alleged Wiley assaulted him twice during a dinner on June 9, 2021.
“Someone I had a brief, consensual relationship with almost three years ago is now making a false accusation about our time together,” Wiley posted on Instagram Sunday — shortly after Awuah-Darko made the allegation.
Awuah-Darko, who founded the Noldor Artist Residency in Ghana, alleged on Instagram that Wiley first “inappropriately groped” him in front of a guest at a residency dinner honoring the painter.
The second assault later that day, Awuah-Darko alleged, was “much more severe and violent.”
He had previously shared a more cryptic video saying that he was sexually assaulted by “someone who outranks [him] in privilege, power” — and that he was trying to raise $200,000 in legal fees.
In a follow-up interview with the New York Times, Awuah-Darko, 27, claimed he and Wiley had a consensual sexual encounter that changed when Wiley forced himself on him despite Awuah-Darko saying he did not want to go further.
The aftermath of the alleged assaults “almost destroyed me,” Awuah-Darko’s online statement read.
Wiley, however, countered that the allegations were “an affront to all victims of sexual abuse.”
“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,” Wiley continued.
“I kindly ask for privacy as I work to clear my name,” he added.
Representatives for Wiley gave CNN a copy of the cease-and-desist letter they sent to Awuah-Darko, which demanded that he immediately remove the Instagram posts.
The missive suggested that Awuah-Darko’s motivations were “malicious” and an attempt to “ruin [Wiley’s] reputation for … financial gain and attention,” CNN reported.
Wiley’s representatives also showed the outlet copies of messages between the two artists, which appeared to have been sent in the months following the alleged assaults.
In some of the exchanges, Awuah-Darko seemed to be making plans to attend a birthday party for Wiley in Nigeria, CNN said.
In another text, he asked Wiley if he could stay at his home in upstate New York — a request Wiley appeared to have ignored.
In his initial Instagram post, Awuah-Darko admitted that it took him “several months to reconcile with what had actually happened.”
He also noted that it would have been “problematic at best — dangerous at worst” to report the assaults in Ghana, where same-sex relationships are criminalized.
“I am aware I’m not the perfect sexual assault victim but this is what happened to me,” Awuah-Darko told the New York Times.
Awuah-Darko said he planned to press charges in an Instagram Story post on Monday, though it was unclear if any formal legal action was taken.
Representatives for Wiley did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment.
A rep for Awuah-Darko’s gallery said he had no comment.
Wiley was born in Los Angeles and studied at the San Francisco Art Institute before earning an MFA from Yale University.
He shot to international prominence in 2017, when he was commissioned for Obama’s official portrait for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
The final product — which was unveiled in February 2018 — depicted Obama seated in a simple black suit set against vibrant foliage.
The work dovetailed neatly with the rest of Wiley’s visual vocabulary, which emphasized portraiture of black individuals posed in front of bold backgrounds.
