Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Joseph Awuah-Darko outed Kehinde Wiley as serial predator after he grabbed his ass in Ghana in 2021.
TRUMU SCANDAL:
Joseph Awuah-Darko is a Ghanaian artist, musician, and curator, as well as a collector of contemporary African and diaspora art. He was born in the United Kingdom.
Kehinde Wiley is known for his portraits of former President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. He was born in Los Angeles to a Nigerian father and an African American mother. He identifies as a gay man.
“Someone I had a brief, consensual relationship with is now making false, disturbing, and defamatory accusations about our time together,” Wiley said. “These claims are deeply hurtful to me, and I will pursue all legal options to bring the truth to light and clear my name. These claims are also a slap in the face for all victims of sexual abuse. I have no idea why this individual has decided to target me this way, particularly since he has been trying to be part of my life ever since we met — flying to Nigeria to attend my birthday party, attempting to visit my home in upstate New York, sending me warm and cordial text messages, and almost a year ago to the day attending my exhibition at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and posting to Instagram that the show by his ‘dear friend’ was ‘breathtaking.’ He has posted extensively on Instagram about his struggles with mental illness and I hope he gets help with whatever he is going through. I will vigorously defend my name and reputation.”
In the post, Awuah-Darko claimed that Wiley “inappropriately groped” him first, grabbing his buttocks. He then alluded to a “much more severe and violent” assault later in the night, though he did not provide details for that alleged incident. Awuah-Darko instead noted that he had difficulty confronting the alleged assault due to Wiley’s status as a gay man and because of prevalent anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment in Ghana.
“I am actively seeking legal action and hope that speaking about my abuse will empower other victims to do the same,” Awuah-Darko told ARTnews in a direct message on Instagram on Sunday.
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