Cecilia Lei

Blake Morrison, an investigative journalist, told me about the journey he and his colleagues took to uncover the real Banksy.

What followed was a series of shoe-leather reporting exercises, showing photographs to people, checking with immigration officials about who had entered Ukraine, and interviewing someone who had made coffee for two men suspected of being Banksy.

Ultimately, though, it was old New York police reports and court documents from 2000 that persuaded the reporters they had enough evidence to publish.

Banksy's longtime lawyer told Reuters that his client did not accept that many of the details in Reuters' inquiry were correct, though he didn't elaborate beyond that.

So, not exactly a denial.

All the while, Morrison and his colleagues wrestled with a deeper question.

Was it right to strip one of the world's most celebrated artists of the very thing that defines him?

I asked Morrison why uncovering Banksy was a worthy quest.

Morrison notes that Banksy's work has generated tens of millions of dollars in sales over the years, and that his notoriety as an anonymous and celebrated artist offered a certain level of impunity that's not afforded to other artists using graffiti as their primary means.

Even as his anonymity fueled big sales in the past, the Wall Street Journal reports that a number of art collectors are already expecting to shell out more money knowing who Banksy is now.

They say they're more comfortable buying pieces from someone who isn't a mystery.

Morrison acknowledges that there are a lot of people who aren't happy with him and his colleagues for revealing Banksy's true identity.

But he says people shouldn't forget just how powerful Banksy really is.

You can read the full Reuters investigation in the Apple News app.

And for those who don't want this decades-long mystery revealed, Morrison had this to say.

And finally, a few other stories we're following.

For 21 seasons, the reality show and cultural phenomenon The Bachelorette has captivated millions of viewers.

But yesterday, fans learned they won't be getting the show's 22nd season.

ABC is canceling it days before this Sunday's premiere over an open domestic assault investigation against this season's star, Taylor Frankie Paul.

On Thursday, TMZ published a video of Paul kicking her ex-partner and throwing chairs at him as her young daughter sat close by.