Man Behind Viral ‘The Dress’ Illusion Charged With Attempting to Murder His Wife

Keir Johnston, known for going viral over his mother-in-law’s black-and-blue or gold-and-white dress illusion that divided the internet, is accused of attempting to murder his wife.

The Scottish citizen, 38, appeared in Glasgow’s High Court on July 10 after being charged with attempting to murder his wife, Grace Johnston, on March 6, 2022, according to multiple reports. He is accused of conducting a nearly 11-year-long campaign of domestic violence and coercive control against his partner, which led to an incident last March where he allegedly tried to kill her by pinning her to the ground and compressing her neck. 

He also faces allegations that he repeatedly assaulted his wife in their Inner Hebrides home. The charges, ranging from April 2019 to March 2022, include him brandishing a knife toward her, pushing her against a wall, and shouting and belittling her. Keir also allegedly isolated Grace from her friends and family, as well as monitored and controlled her finances. 

Johnston denied all allegations against him, and the case is reportedly set for a further preliminary hearing before a 2024 trial. 

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The couple initially rose to social media fame in 2015 after Keir’s sister, Caitlin McNeill, posted a photo on Tumblr of Grace’s mom Cecilia Bleasdale’s dress from their wedding, after the family couldn’t come to an agreement if the dress appeared to be blue and black or white and gold in the photo.

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“I thought I’d get some answers,” Caitlin explained alongside the couple in an appearance on The Ellen Show in March 2015. “Within not half an hour, it was on Twitter, and then somebody just texted me and said, ‘Can you just search ‘The Dress’ on Twitter’? And I was like, ‘Eh, sure,’ and then hundreds and hundreds of pictures of this dress in people’s tweets.” 

The debate broke the internet, with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Chrissy Teigen, Kanye West, and more, all weighing in on how the brain processes color. 

During the talk show appearance, Grace’s mother walked out on stage, proving the dress was indeed blue and black. The couple was then awarded a $10,000 check, as well as a trip to the Caribbean by host Ellen DeGeneres.