Dean Lewis apologizes over allegations of intimate messages with fans

Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis, 38, issued an apology on Thursday after multiple women posted accounts and materials online alleging he engaged in intimate and at times unwelcome exchanges with fans over the past decade. The posts, largely shared on social media platforms, included screenshots and audio that users say show Lewis sexting, flirting and arranging meetups with female fans. Lewis posted a statement on Instagram acknowledging the accounts, apologizing for the hurt caused and saying he planned to change how he engages with people.

In his statement, Lewis said he understood why people were "angry and disappointed" after seeing "embarrassing details of intimate, private conversations and relationships" and emphasized that he believed his interactions were with consenting adults and were not illegal. He added that the campaign against him had repeatedly acknowledged that point, and that he was "hurt by any suggestion that I've done things that have crossed into illegality." He also said the disclosures had been "jarring" and an "overdue wake‑up call."

Lewis acknowledged patterns of behavior he described as reckless. "I was breathtakingly dumb texting and flirting...