Man linked with viral optical illusion dress charged with trying to kill wife

In a shocking turn of events, the man — who rose to fame after a dress worn by his mother-in-law went viral for its optical illusion — has been arrested and charged with trying to kill his wife, Insider reported. 

Keir Johnston, 38, who hails from the Isle of Colonsay in Scotland, is accused of carrying out serious domestic violence and coercive control over a period of 11 years which resulted in attempting to kill his wife, said the court records.

The charges refer to the incidents that happened from April 2019 to March 2022 including repeated assaults, shouting at her, strangling her, and brandishing a knife.

According to the Times, the man also punched his wife to get her inside the vehicle. He is also accused of putting her in a headlock and dragging her along after she refused to leave a bar with him.

However, Johnston has denied all the charges against him and his trial is expected to begin in 2024.

The picture of the dress quickly went viral when it was posted by one of the wedding guests and said to have "broken the internet".

Some of the people described it as blue and black while others said that it was gold and white. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift also engaged in the online debate.

The couple also appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and were gifted $10,000 and a trip to Grenada. Later, they revealed that the dress was black and blue.

Even an ad campaign showed the dress to raise awareness about domestic violence, asking: "Why is it so hard to see black and blue."