Dean Lewis has issued a lengthy statement apologising to a number of women, including some who have accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The Australian musician, 38, admitted to making mistakes in the dating world and how he spoke to women in the past but denied ever setting out to make women uncomfortable.
“I understand why people are angry and disappointed after learning embarrassing details of intimate, private conversations and relationships I’ve had with consenting adults over the past decade, but I want to emphasise that none of this is illegal,” Lewis said.
There have been no suggestions any of the behaviour Lewis is accused of is in any way illegal.
A 28-year-old woman named Elaina was among the accusers, who said in an eight-minute TikTok video that she was 23 years old and working in the entertainment industry when they had an encounter in 2019 that left her feeling “uncomfortable”.
“As we were kissing, I quickly realised I wasn’t feeling comfortable, there was no effort to make me comfortable,” she claimed.
“He was trying to say anything he could say to get me to say yes. I remember him saying, ‘We are two friends who are attracted to each other and want to have fun’.
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“Another thing that crawls up my spine is he looked at me and asked: ‘Do you want to make me happy?'”
A second person shared a recording of an alleged conversation with Lewis in a social media video.
A third person, named Eliza, said the singer “love bombed” her within text messages after she attended a show and his team invited her backstage.
The seven-time ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter hit the big time with his debut single Waves in 2016.
He said in his statement that dating in the public eye has been difficult and that like anyone else he had “done and said incredibly stupid, insensitive, and embarrassing things that I’m mortified by when looking back”.
“As a straight man, I’ve been flirty with adult women of all different ages, in person, online, and over text,” he said.
“Occasionally, that flirting leads to consensual intimate encounters or relationships that I thought were private.”
Lewis added further along: “I was breathtakingly dumb texting and flirting in the manner I have over many years.
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“I should have been more sensitive that not everyone might look at our interactions the way I often did. From the bottom of my heart, I want to sincerely apologise to those I’ve hurt.
“This is not only an apology to the women who have spoken up, but those who haven’t and felt hurt by my words or behaviour. I also need to apologise to my family and fans who I’ve gravely disappointed.”
Lewis dubbed some accusations from “fabricated accounts” as “gross misrepresentations”, alleging “inappropriate comments have been made around interactions with my youngest fans”.
He pleaded for his family to be left out of the threats being made to him.
While “hurt” by a handful of women sharing details of their intimate encounters in social media videos that have gone viral, Lewis said the experience has “been an overdue wake up call” and he is seeking out “intense therapy”.
DEAN LEWIS’S STATEMENT IN FULL:
”Hey all,
“I wanted to share some thoughts on the recent posts about me on social media. I understand why people are angry and disappointed after learning embarrassing details of intimate, private conversations and relationships I’ve had with consenting adults over the past decade, but I want to emphasise that none of this is illegal. The individuals leading the campaign against me have repeatedly acknowledged this, and I’m hurt by any suggestion that I’ve done things that have crossed into illegality. At the same time, I realise I’ve made an incredible mess, people are genuinely hurt, and I need to make changes.
“My entire texting and dating history is now seemingly fair game, so I’ll be transparent: despite common assumptions about famous musicians, I don’t really go out, I don’t do drugs, and I don’t even really drink. But yes, as a straight man, I’ve been flirty with adult women of all different ages, in-person, online, and over text. Occasionally, that flirting leads to consensual intimate encounters or relationships that I thought were private. And like anyone who has ever dated, been in a relationship, or just sent dumb flirty texts (and yes, sometimes sexts), I’ve done and said incredibly stupid, insensitive, and embarrassing things that I’m mortified by when looking back.
“While there’s a lot about fame that’s great, perhaps the biggest downside is losing your private life. This lack of a private life creates a split reality. On one hand, you’re constantly surrounded by people who want you to be the person they’ve imagined when they listen to your music. On the other, there’s a loneliness and isolation that comes from always having to be ‘on’. Those moments when the isolation and loneliness hit hard is a dark place, and I often tried to fill that emptiness by finding connection. I now realise there are people who were deeply hurt by my carelessness with their emotions. But when you make mistakes — as all of us do — the experience of having them aired in public and taken out of context has been jarring. It’s also been an overdue wake up call.
“In the past few days, social media has made public a decade-plus of private conversations with a number of women, all of adult age. I don’t fault these individuals for having hard feelings, and I don’t want anyone defending me. I was breathtakingly dumb texting and flirting in the manner I have over many years. I should have been more sensitive that not everyone might look at our interactions the way I often did. From the bottom of my heart, I want to sincerely apologise to those I’ve hurt. This is not only an apology to the women who have spoken up, but those who haven’t and felt hurt by my words or behaviour. I also need to apologise to my family and fans who I’ve gravely disappointed.
“At the same time, however you feel about my behaviour, some of the social posts have also gotten out of hand, including some fabricated accounts and some gross misrepresentations and hurtful language. In particular, inappropriate comments have been made around interactions with my youngest fans. For example, ‘likes’ and ‘thank yous’ on tagged fan posts/DMs are being taken out of context in the worst possible light. In other instances, there have been fabrications shared as fact. Finally, while I’m open to any criticism of me, threats to conduct ‘exposes’ on my family who have nothing to do with my poor decision making are over the line. Be angry with me, but please leave my family out of this.
“I need to make a lot of changes, some personal and some professional. Specifically, I am enrolling myself into intense therapy to make better choices and dramatically shift my approach to dating, relationships, and showing greater care to the women in my life. Changes will also include a whole new set of rules so there’s never confusion or questions about my intent when I’m engaging with fans or responding to messages in the future.
“I know it’s too much to ask for grace and forgiveness at this moment, but in time I hope to re-earn the trust of those I’ve hurt, and do better by those I’ve disappointed. I’m going to look after myself for a little bit while I get my head and life in order.
“With sincere love and regret, Dean.”
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