John Galliano Fired From Dior After Allegations Of Anti-Semitism

John Galliano at a Dior show last summer (AP)

Last week, fashion house Christian Dior suspended its iconoclastic designer, John Galliano, after he was accused of making anti-Semitic statements at a Paris cafe. Today, after an undated video of Galliano saying he loved Hitler and other allegations of anti-Semitism piled up, Dior announced that Galliano was fired. CEO Sidney Toledano condemned the bad boy designer "in the strongest terms" and said Galliano's behavior was "in total contradiction with the essential values that have always been defended by the Christian Dior house."

John Galliano this morning (AP)

The Dior statement also cited the "odious comments" in the video, which show Galliano saying to customers at cafe La Perle, "I love Hitler... People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be f****** gassed." When one of the people he's directing remarks at asks if he has a problem, he says, "With you. You're ugly," and claims he's from "Your a***hole."

Galliano allegedly told a woman at La Perle last Thursday that she was a "dirty Jew face"; Galliano, who has denied he's anti-Semitic, is accusing her of defamation. The NY Times notes, "French law makes it a crime to incite racial hatred; the statute has been used in the past to punish anti-Semitic remarks."

Academy Award winner Natalie Portman, who is Jewish (born in Israel) and just signed a deal to represent a Dior perfume was asked about Galliano's comments after winning her Oscar, but an Oscar press person refused to let her say anything. She has since released a statement, "I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano's comments that surfaced today. In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way. I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful."

The "Derelicte" fashion in Zoolander is a spoof on Galliano's 2000 collection, which was inspired by homeless people in France.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts & Entertainment on March 1, 2011 11:40 AM

Comments [rss]

Rubiconski

waah waah waah, jews have it hard, bad things were done to jews

Sooooo sick of them

canofpeas

So when are you going to nail him to the cross?

TheRealCannibal

I suppose I don't really need anything from Christian Dior for the rest of my life, either.

Merf Derf

Perhaps someone should inform Mr. Galliano what the Nazis did with homosexuals

RabbiLaFunque

Better yet, perhaps someone should inform him what pissed off Jews do to antisemites.

Guest

Complain loudly to the ADL?

Rammy

He's so obviously out of his mind drunk in that video, and clearly an idiot - but seeing as how Galliano is gay and of whatever melting pot of different races and religion that a lot of Gibraltar folk are - how much am I really expected to believe the guy "loves Hitler"?

He's a drunken tool who when three sheets to the wind gets off on saying the loudest dumb shit that he thinks will shock the room - like an edgy 13 year old. If a table of fancy Black folk had sat at that table he would've claimed to love the Klan; he would've declared his love for Stalin and the purges if the guest were Russians; etc.

Since he's actually talented and has made TPTB a gazillion dollars - he'll be working again soon enough.

dollarmenu

Now I feel vindicated for never having bought his clothes that I couldn't afford regardless.

cr17

I'm sure John would have put together an amazing outfit to match the pink triangle he'd have been forced to wear all the way to the gas chambers...

SFNY

"French law makes it a crime to incite racial hatred." Can we please do that here?

Mordicai

Eh, it is a tough line. I would rather err on the side of free speech.

SFNY

They aren't mutually exclusive. It would go a long way to changing the dialog from incendiary name-calling and race-baiting to an exchange based on facts. Take away the emotion and just leave the information.

Although the comment boards would dry up ...