Renowned American artist Kehinde Wiley, best known for his portrait of President Barack Obama, is facing a civil lawsuit filed in New York by, who alleges the artist sexually assaulted her in 2001. The complaint, filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, details an alleged incident in Wiley’s Brooklyn apartment when the artist was in his mid-20s and Chieke was 32. At the time, Chieke says she visited Wiley’s home after the two connected over art and culture, only for the situation to take a violent turn.
According to court documents, Chieke accuses Wiley of physically overpowering her, groping her without consent, and digitally penetrating her despite repeated objections. The lawsuit characterizes the experience as traumatic, stating Chieke fled the apartment in shock and distress. She is seeking a jury trial and damages for the alleged assault, citing long-term emotional and psychological suffering.
Chieke, who is now an art historian and curator, remained silent for over two decades before filing the lawsuit. In a statement to ARTnews, her attorney cited the Adult Survivors Act as a pivotal mechanism enabling survivors of sexual assault to come forward with claims that had previously fallen outside the statute of limitations. The Act, which expired in late 2023, opened a one-year window for adult survivors in New York to file civil suits regardless of when the incident occurred.
Wiley has not publicly responded to the allegations, and as of now, no criminal charges have been filed. The artist, who has built a career on vibrant, politically charged portraits of Black subjects in grand, Old Master-style settings, is widely recognized as one of the most influential painters of his generation. His Obama portrait, unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in 2018, brought him global acclaim and cemented his place in the canon of contemporary American art.
The lawsuit has sparked renewed discussions about power dynamics in the art world, especially concerning how institutional prestige may shield figures from scrutiny. As the case proceeds, it is expected to draw attention not only due to Wiley’s prominence but also because of the broader cultural reckoning around accountability in elite creative circles.
