Man behind divisive viral dress pleads guilty to strangling wife

Kier Johnston is not a name that will have been on anyone’s lips. However, everyone will be familiar with the black-and-blue or white-and-gold dress the mother-of-the-bride wore at his and his wife Grace’s wedding in 2015. 

Now, almost a decade after the world argued over the colour of the dress that broke the internet, British media have reported that Kier, 38, has been sentenced to jail after admitting to trying to strangle his wife.  

According to The Guardian, Kier pleaded guilty to the attack at the high court in Glasgow on Thursday and was remanded in custody until a sentence is passed next month. The couple lived on a remote island in Scotland when Kier attacked Grace on March 6 2022. 

Days earlier, Grace had defied her husband’s demands not to attend a job interview on the mainland. According to People, court documents confirm that Keir was indicted after pinning his wife to the ground and sitting astride her during the assault. He also threatened to kill her and brandished a knife. Despite sustaining severe bruising from the attack, Grace did not require medical treatment. The defending lawyer said Kier had accepted responsibility for the assault. He will be sentenced on June 6.

The image of the now-famous dress was shared by a guest at the couple’s wedding. The dress caused such a global stir that celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Ellen DeGeneres, were caught up in the debate, with the latter inviting the couple on to her talk show, where they were given $10,000 and a trip to Grenada.

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