Three prominent museums have recently canceled or postponed exhibitions by artist Kehinde Wiley following sexual assault accusations. The Pèrez Art Museum Miami, Minneapolis Institute of Art and Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Neb. made these decisions in the past month.

In May, Ghanaian artist Joseph Awuah-Darko alleged on social media that Wiley inappropriately touched him at a dinner in 2021 and later committed a more severe assault. June saw two additional men come forward with sexual assault allegations against Wiley, dating back to 2010 and 2021.

Wiley, whose work is currently on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), including the prominent “Rumors of War” statue, has denied the accusations. Through a representative, he called the claims “false, disturbing and defamatory” and stated his intention to pursue legal action to clear his name.

The VMFA issued a statement condemning sexual violence but declined to comment specifically on the allegations:

“VMFA condemns acts of sexual violence, assault and impropriety and takes allegations of sexual assault seriously,” a VMFA representative said. “We cannot comment on this matter as it does not involve the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.”

In his own statement, Wiley said he has considered taking legal action to prove his innocence.

“We live in a world where a single false social media post can destroy someone’s life, where people are tried and convicted online without regard for the truth. This is dangerous and wrong,” Wiley said.

He also addressed the allegations on Instagram, expressing concern about the power of social media to damage reputations without due process. His representatives provided messages between Wiley and Awuah-Darko, which they claim demonstrate a cordial relationship.

The choice by some museums to cancel or postpone Wiley’s art shows has drawn criticism from some. The National Coalition Against Censorship released a statement claiming the choice to remove his art sets a precedent of examining the personal conduct of exhibiting artists and “risks an ad hoc application of unstated policy.”

The coalition also claimed that determining the morality of artists is not within a museum’s expertise.

“Museums are not equipped or mandated to be enforcers of moral orthodoxy. Their shared role is to identify and contextualize works that have artistic merit and cultural relevance.” the statement read.

A representative from the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha gave a statement saying the museum is “revisiting [its] exhibition schedule. ‘Kehinde Wiley: Omaha’ will not be presented in 2024.” The other two museums that canceled or postponed Wiley’s exhibitions did not respond to requests for comment.