Australian pop star Dean Lewis has apologised for being careless and causing hurt after multiple women accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

“I realise I’ve made an incredible mess, people are genuinely hurt, and I need to make changes,” the singer wrote in a statement on Instagram on Thursday.

Over the past week, several female fans from around the world posted TikTok videos detailing Lewis’ behaviour. They alleged that the ARIA Award-winning musician upset or unsettled them through text messages or in-person interactions. They also shared phone recordings and screenshots of the text chains between themselves and the singer.

Lewis, who is known for chart-topping hits including Be Alright, said he had not engaged in any criminal behaviour and his private conversations and relationships over the past decade were all with consenting adults. He denied any accusations levelled against him online that his behaviour was directed towards underage people.

However, he said that having his intimate, private conversations aired in public has been an “overdue wake-up call” and recognised he needed to make changes. This includes enrolling himself in “intense therapy to make better choices and dramatically shift [his] approach to dating, relationships and showing greater care to the women in [his] life”.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to sincerely apologise to those I’ve hurt. This is not only an apology to the women who have spoken up, but those who haven’t and felt hurt by my words or behaviour,” he wrote.

One of the most viral videos about Lewis’ behaviour was shared by an American fan who met with the singer-songwriter in 2019 when she was 23. They kissed, and the interaction did not progress any further. In her TikTok she alleged he made little effort to make her feel comfortable.

“To me, there was not a lot of knowledge of consent because it was a lot of trying to convince me to say yes, which in any circumstance is wrong, but especially when there is a power dynamic – someone who is famous, has a platform, is older than me,” she said.

In his statement, Lewis said fame often caused him to feel lonely and isolated – feelings he would try to quash by making connections with fans.

“I’ve been flirty with adult women of all different ages, in-person, online, and over text,” he wrote. “I’ve done and said incredibly stupid, insensitive, and embarrassing things that I’m mortified by when looking back … I don’t fault these individuals for having hard feelings, and I don’t want anyone defending me.”

He claimed, however, that some of the social media posts about him were gross misrepresentations, some of which were allegedly shared from fabricated accounts. He said, while he was open to criticism against himself, he would not accept threats to conduct exposés on his family, who were in no way involved with recent accusations.

Lewis, who is set to begin a month-long US and Canadian tour in January, concluded the statement by saying he would look after himself for a while as he navigates the situation. “I know it’s too much to ask for grace and forgiveness at this moment, but in time I hope to re-earn the trust of those I’ve hurt, and do better by those I’ve disappointed.”

The Sydney artist first entered the spotlight in 2017 when his song Waves was used on global smash-hit shows such as Suits and Riverdale. Since then Lewis has won three ARIA Awards, including best male artist, and has worked with overseas musicians like the Jonas Brothers.

His most recent album The Epilogue (2024) hit No.2 on the ARIA charts. Lewis has been touring the world since the end of last year, including Australia and Europe.

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