That black-and-blue (or white-and-gold) dress from 2015 is once again making headlines, but for a much different reason this time. Per the Daily Mail, 38-year-old Keir Johnston has been charged with the attempted murder of his wife, Grace Johnston. In case you need a refresher, the Johnstons are the Scottish couple whose wedding the contentious dress was purchased for. They went on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to explain how Grace had received the infamous picture of the dress from her mom. Grace disagreed with both her mom and Keir about the colors of the dress, and the debate ended up reaching most of the internet after a friend asked Tumblr for help. #TheDress became so recognizable that the Salvation Army’s South African branch even used it for a domestic-abuse awareness campaign. “Why is it so hard to see black and blue?†the PSA, which featured a photo of a bruised woman in a white-and-gold dress, read. “The only illusion is if you think it was her choice. One in six women are victims of abuse. Stop abuse against women.â€
Keir is now accused in Glasgow’s High Court of conducting a nearly 11-year-long campaign of domestic violence and coercive control against Grace (which would have overlapped with their appearance on Ellen). This allegedly culminated in an attempt to murder his wife at their home in Scotland on March 6, 2022. He is accused of pinning Grace to the ground, threatening to kill her, attempting to strangle her, and brandishing a knife at her. Allegations from various other dates include that Keir pushed his wife against a wall, struck her through an open window in a vehicle, placed her in a headlock and dragged her from a pub, isolated her from friends, monitored her movements, and controlled her finances. He appeared in court and has denied all charges against him. The case is reportedly set for a further preliminary hearing before a 2024 trial.