Ghanaian artist accuses Kehinde Wiley of sexual assault

British-born Ghanaian artist Joseph Awuah-Darko accused renowned painter Kehinde Wiley of sexually assaulting him twice in June 2021.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Awuah-Darko said he met Wiley in Ghana at a dinner honoring Wiley at the Noldor Artist Residency, founded by Awuah-Darko. Wiley, a Los Angeles-born, New York-based artist, is known for painting the official portrait of President Barack Obama.

In the first instance of assault described in Awuah-Darko’s post, he said Wiley “groped him inappropriately” by grabbing his butt and asking something like “What is that thing?”

The second attack was “much more serious and violent,” according to Awuah-Darko, but he did not go into details online.

However, Awuah-Darko told The New York Times in an interview that the encounter began consensually until the two moved into a bedroom and Wiley allegedly forced himself on Awuah-Darko.

Wiley apparently addressed the allegation in a post on Instagram on Sunday: “Someone with whom I had a brief, consensual relationship almost three years ago is now making a false accusation about our time together.”

“I ask for privacy as I work to clear my name,” he added.

Lawyers for Wiley told The New York Times that they sent Awuah-Darko a cease-and-desist letter, but Awuah-Darko denied seeing it at the time.

Awuah-Darko claimed in his Sunday post that “the art world” knew about Wiley’s predatory behavior, but did not specify since when. Awuah-Darko added that he hoped his decision to go public “will shed light on more truths yet to come.”

Awuah-Darko is not making any official charges.

“Given Kehinde’s self-described global recognition as a gay man, officially reporting this assault in a West African country like Ghana (where anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments are prevalent) would have been problematic at best and dangerous at worst,” Awuah-Darko explained.

“I realize that I am not the perfect victim of sexual assault,” Awuah-Darko told The New York Times, “but that is exactly what happened to me. I hope others come forward.”

Do you need help? Visit RAINN’s National Online Sexual Assault Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center website.

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