The Curse of The Dress That Broke The Internet: How outfit that became online sensation left tragedy in its wake including a jailed husband, a battered wife, a family wedding spat and a ‘stomach-churning’ charity campaign
In 2015, a simple photo of a wedding dress became one of the biggest internet sensations of all time, putting the bride and groom in the global spotlight.
The seemingly mundane photo had an incredible visual quirk – some saw the dress as black and blue, while others saw it as white and gold – and it wasn’t long before the couple, Keir and Grace Johnston, were being invited to talk shows around the world .
Their relationship would end in the most horrific of circumstances, with Keir Johnston today being jailed for four years for assaulting his wife.
Although they pale in comparison to the shocking attack in March 2022, the so-called ‘Dress That Broke The Internet’ has been linked to several other negative headlines – from a family feud to a controversial charity campaign.
The trial which ended today heard how Johnston, 39, violently attacked his wife at their remote home on the Isle of Colonsay, Inner Hebrides.
The Dress That Broke The Internet became famous worldwide after a debate over whether it was black and blue
Keir Johnston (right) pinned Grace Johnston (left) to the ground and brandished a knife. On the left is Mrs Johnson’s mother, Cecilia Bleasdale, wearing the dress and a matching jacket
Desperate, she sent messages to friends begging for help as she knew it would take too long for police to reach them, before finally calling 911 and shouting into the phone: “My husband is trying to kill me.”
Johnston, a petrol station attendant, pleaded guilty to the charge of assaulting his wife and was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
It was a gruesome end to a story that initially saw them tour the world for their brief global fame as the couple responsible for The Dress That Broke The Internet.
They appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US, where they were awarded $10,000 (£8,000) and a luxury trip to Grenada.
The photo that caused the internet storm was taken by the bride’s mother, Cecilia Bleasdale, while she was shopping with her partner, Paul Jinks.
Their relationship would end in the most horrific of circumstances, with Keir Johnston today being jailed for four years for assaulting his wife
Mrs Bleasdale sent the photo of the gown to her daughter to ask the bride-to-be what she thought. Grace in turn shared it with her then fiancé, Keir Johnston.
The couple disagreed on the colors of the dress, so Grace looked online for more opinions by posting them Facebook – the first step on the way to becoming a global phenomenon.
When the photo went viral, no mention was made of Mrs Bleasdale or Mr Jinks, leading to the couple filing a complaint with the police. BBC that they felt ‘completely left out of the story’ and ‘had no control’.
They have even hired a lawyer and are considering legal action to protect their copyright in the photo.
Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift also shared it. The couple next appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Mrs Bleasdale later admitted that she and her daughter had had an ‘argument’ about the dress and ‘just don’t talk about it now’.
The dress made headlines again when it featured in a Salvation Army anti-domestic violence campaign, which was criticized in some quarters for its use of the ‘tasteless’ slogan “Why is it so hard to see black and blue?”
One user posted on
‘Like a beautiful woman just lounging there, apparently not afraid or in pain. She makes violence against women look sexy, and that’s disgusting.”
Judge Lady Drummond today jailed Johnston and told him of the terrible consequences of his abuse.
The Salvation Army was criticized for using it in a campaign against violence against women
Photo by retailer Roman Originals of the two-tone dress that sparked a global debate
She said: ‘The impact of your actions will last forever. She cannot understand your lack of remorse or empathy towards her.
‘I have taken into account all the information and considered the proposition that the court can deal with this with a community order.
‘I’m afraid the only appropriate sentence for a crime something like this is a prison sentence.”
A 10-year harassment order was also issued, restricting Johnston’s contact with Grace.
Prosecutor Chris Macintosh told how it was accepted that Grace had suffered before domestic violence – including her husband trying to strangle her – before the 2022 attack.
