Amid intense backlash, fashion designer John Galliano has withdrawn from a planned exhibit honoring him at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Galliano and the museum issued a joint statement Monday announcing the decision.
The influential designer has faced mounting criticism following a series of antisemitic and racist comments that he made in 2010 and 2011 that went viral, leading to his conviction in an antisemitism trial in France.
“After much reflection and discussion with The Met and all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time. I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it,” Galliano said in the statement.
Galliano’s withdrawal on Monday came just ahead of a planned meeting of the Met’s board of trustees to discuss the fate of the exhibition, according to an email invitation obtained by The New York Times.
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As we previously reported, Met trustees and board members were already considering whether to reschedule the fundraiser away from the previously announced May 3 date to avoid coinciding with the Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.
Last week, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin sent a letter to the museum urging it not to honor Galliano at the gala.
“After my numerous and lengthy meetings and conversations with The Met, I am pleased that they have agreed to not honor John Galliano,” Menin said in a statement Monday. “From the beginning, I have told them that I strongly disagreed with this decision, and at this rising time of antisemitism, it had served as a gut punch to the Jewish community. This is the correct decision, as the harm and pain this was causing was simply unacceptable.”
“Museums such as The Met must be held to a high standard of inclusiveness and tolerance, and I am pleased that they have listened to the concerns I have raised and reacted with the right decision,” she added. “As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, and as the first Jewish speaker of the New York City Council, this decision was personal to me, and the Jewish community and I felt a strong obligation to speak out.”
Last week, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin sent a letter to the museum urging it not to honor Galliano at the gala.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt issued the following statement on X following the decision:
“With antisemitism at crisis levels, the Met honoring John Galliano at this moment was misguided, and even Galliano ultimately recognized what the Met should have done from the start. This was the wrong move at the wrong moment. Timing matters.”
The museum said plans for a replacement exhibit would be announced at a later date.
