The man behind the viral black-blue/white-gold dress that gave the internet a rare moment of wholesome fun has pleaded guilty to endangering his wife’s life, admitting to strangling her.
Keir Johnston, 38, appeared in court Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to a “terrifying” attack on his wife, Grace. Though the attack was not fatal, it left her “fearing for her life.”
As is the case with many viral moments, Keir Johnston’s 15 minutes of fame occurred unexpectedly. He entered the spotlight in 2015 alongside his wife Grace, thanks to an image from his wedding.
The image, known as simply #TheDress, showed a close-up of his mother-in-law’s attire for the event. A guest snapped and shared the picture and it spread like wildfire, sparking debates worldwide about its true colors: blue and black or white and gold.
The couple drew so much attention for The Dress, in fact, that they were invited on an episode of The Ellen Show, where Degeneres gifted them $10,000 and a trip to Grenada.
Man Behind Viral Dress Has a History of Domestic Abuse Towards His Wife
Keir Johnston first attended High Court nearly a year ago, in July 2023. He faced allegations that he had been abusing his wife through serious domestic violence and coercive control for the entirety of their marriage.
At the time, he denied all charges. Upon his return to court, however, Johnston’s history of domestic abuse began to unfold.
On the day of the attack, Johnston went to a pub by himself before announcing to his wife that he planned to leave her. Johnston then grabbed Grace and threw her to the ground.
“He followed her and pinned her to the ground,” Chris MacIntosh, prosecutor for the Crown, detailed to the court. “He placed both knees on her arms, so she was unable to move; he then began strangling her with both his hands.”
“She was initially able to scream and feared for her life and believed Johnston intended to kill her as he was very forceful.”
Grace suffered severe bruising from the attack but didn’t require medical treatment. Johnston accepted responsibility for the attack and was subsequently denied bail.
“I have no need to tell you that this is a serious and violent offence,” the judge, Lady Drummond, explained. “You repeatedly strangled her, injured her and put her life in danger in what must have been absolutely terrifying circumstances for her.”
Johnston, a Scotland native, was remanded in custody until his sentencing, currently set for June 6th.