As for the “quietly withdrawn” part, I was told it was zilusa debei dina to make a public retraction. Again, this is eid mipi eid mipi eid, so as much as I would like to make a bold statement, I frankly can’t. Plus, I don’t understand it, as lezilusa debei dina lo chayashinan. But that’s what I’ve heard. I will try to get some more clarity on this IY”H, although I will understand if my rav is vague on the issue. Fortunately his sons are more free with their speech.
When it first came it there was a big tumult. Many anti-sheitel askanim and kanaim used it to stage sheitel-burning events, and many women gave up their favorite sheitels for these. There were bunches of articles written attacking sheitels in general in the papers too. When it slowly came out that the sheitels were muttar, many of these women felt betrayed (column by rabbi Moshe Grylak in Mishpacha a while back- their site is not responding so I can’t dig up the original). I was told by one of my friends “in the know” (again, unconfirmed, but he’s usually reliable) that there were those in Eretz yisroel spreading the shmuah that Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach assered sheitels at the end of his life, even though his own daughters used to wear them! Such are askanim. That is why I follow my gedolim and rabbeim.