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After years of allegations, compilations of assault claims from numerous models, and even a response by the accused to the press to “hold accountable whoever is responsible for originating these claims and viciously spreading them online,” fashion designer Alexander Wang finally returned to Instagram after two months of silence to address the attestations against him. Although he says he regrets “acting in a way that caused them pain,” Wang’s March 9th IG post stops short of an admission of wrongdoing or an apology, but vowing to “set a better example” and concluding, “…now that I know better, I will do better.”

The firestorm against the 37-year-old designer really took off in December 2020, after UK model Owen Mooney recounted a 2017 meeting with Wang and said the designer inappropriately touched him in an NYC nightclub. “In an era of #MeToo and the solidarity victims received from Hollywood, where is the same support for the victims of Wang?” he asked, calling out Wang. “This is why so many accusations of his get brushed under the rug, along with accusations of prominent figures in fashion, for that matter.”

Thereafter, the Instagram accounts Diet Prada and SMM, popular for their fashion industry-related news gossip, brought forth stories from other anonymous social media accounts accusing Wang of questionable behavior, including targeting trans models and of rape.

But Wang immediately fired back and gave a statement to the New York Times on New Year’s Eve 2020. “I never engaged in the atrocious behavior described and would never conduct myself in the manner that’s been alleged,” he said. “I intend to get to the bottom of this and hold accountable whoever is responsible for originating these claims and viciously spreading them online.” He then went on his own IG account a few days later to let his fans know that the reportedly “fabricated” and “baseless allegations were started on social media by sites which repeatedly disregarded the value and importance of evidence or fact-checking.”

However, the accusations started to pile up, with more men boldly telling their stories to outlets such as The BBC and The Cut. Finally, on January 4, high-powered attorney Lisa Bloom went on social media and confirmed she would be representing the men, “Models are not props. Going to a club does not revoke consent to control your own body… We stand with the accusers.” Bloom is known for advising film executive and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein during his scandal but also for representing women who have accused Fox commentator Bill O’Reilly and former President Donald Trump of sexual harassment, too.

But now, after weeks of quiet from both sides, Wang has admitted that while he and the men “disagree on some of the details of these personal interactions,” he “listened carefully to what they had to say” and will use his cachet in the future to “encourage others to recognize harmful behaviors.” In reply to his statement, Bloom took to her Twitter account, recognizing the meeting between the designer and the men, considering the affair closed and done. “My clients had the opportunity to speak their truth to him and expressed their pain and hurt,” she wrote, “We acknowledge Mr. Wang’s apology, and we are moving forward. We have no further comment on this matter.”