#TheDress is making headlines yet again — albeit, under more serious circumstances. Keir Johnston — the man whose mother-in-law’s dress color was virally debated in 2015 — has been charged with an alleged attempt to murder his wife.
Johnston is currently facing a range of allegations, which include shouting at, striking, isolating and monitoring his wife between April 2019 and March 2022, according to Insider. It was also reported that Johnston has currently denied all of the charges he is facing, which will continue in a preliminary hearing and 2024 trial.
Johnston’s mother-in-law’s dress — a lace-trimmed, sleeveless pleated piece from Roman Originals — originally went viral in 2015 after being shared on Tumblr by wedding guest Caitlin McNeill. The garment, which became known as #TheDress, specifically drew global attention from a debate on its color, which some viewed as black and blue while others deemed its color scheme white and gold.
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McNeill clarified in 2015 to Time that the dress was black and blue, following over 21 million views on her initial since-deleted post and 10 million tweets on the dress globally.
In fact, the dress debate grew so immensely that celebrities, sportspeople and public figures all chimed in with their opinions. Stars including Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Zendaya, Justin Bieber, Jaden Smith and numerous others went subsequently viral as well for their reactions to the dress’ color, both agreeing and debating with each other on its hue.
“What color is that dress? I see white & gold. Kanye sees black & blue, who is color blind?” Kardashian tweeted at the time.
Currently, Roman Originals no longer produces the dress in question. However, the brand did share on its website that the blue and black style sold out in 34 minutes upon going viral — and they even released a one-off gold and white version to raise proceeds for the nonprofit Comic Relief.
