Australian pop singer and songwriter Dean Lewis issued a statement in response to several women coming forward on TikTok and accusing him of inappropriate behavior by sharing voicemails and sex texts from Lewis that those fans claimed made them feel uncomfortable or hurt.
“I understand why people are angry and frustrated after learning embarrassing details of the intimate, private conversations and relationships I have had with consenting adults over the past decade, but I want to emphasize that none of this is illegal,” the artist wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. “At the same time, I realize I’ve made an incredible mess, people have been genuinely hurt, and I need to change something.”
He explained: “Yes, as a heterosexual man, I have flirted with older women of various ages, in person, online and through text messages. Sometimes this 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 simply sent stupid flirty messages (and yes, the occasional sext), I have done and said incredibly stupid, insensitive, and embarrassing things that humiliate me. when you look back.”
One of the women who spoke out, @lifeaslainey on TikTok, said she met Lewis in 2019 when she was 23 and working in the entertainment industry. They started dating casually, and she claims that she urgently wanted to do physical labor with him. When she told him she was uncomfortable, Lewis reportedly said, “Do you want to make me happy?”
Another viral video shows a phone conversation between Lewis and @amywatsson when the latter was 19, with the former telling her she looked “beautiful in that white dress, what the hell. Ugh, baby, I want it!” Watsson explained in the comments section of her page that they first started chatting on Instagram and then exchanged Snapchat and phone numbers, writing: “Of course it was all consensual but it got to the point where it was creepy and annoying!!”
In his statement, Lewis further apologized “not only to the women who spoke out, but also to those who did not speak out and felt hurt by my behavior. I must also apologize to my family and fans, whom I have seriously disappointed.” He also said he signed up for “intensive therapy” and changed his approach “to dating, relationships and being more caring to the women in my life” and implemented “a whole new set of rules to ensure there is never any confusion or questions about my intentions when I interact with fans or respond to messages in the future.”
Read the full statement below.
