Fashion

March 1, 2011

UPDATE: Christian Dior designer fired over anti-Semitic slurs [VIDEO]

JTA

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British fashion designer John Galliano was fired by the Christian Dior fashion house after harassing a couple using anti-Semitic and racist slurs.

Galliano’s firing as chief designer for Christian Dior was announced Tuesday, just days after he was suspended from Dior.

Galliano’s harassing of the couple in a Paris bar came to light last week. On Monday, a video of Galliano saying he loves Hitler also came to light.

Actress Natalie Portman, who is the face of Dior perfume and is Jewish, said on Monday that she would not be associated with Galliano.

“I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today,” Portman said in a statement. “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.”

The video, posted on the website of Britain’s The Sun newspaper and on YouTube, shows Galliano yelling at a different couple at the same cafe at a different time, and captures him saying “I love Hitler.” He also tells the couple, “People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be f**king gassed.”

Last week’s altercation, which resulted in Galliano’s suspension, took place Feb. 24 at a central bar in Paris between Galliano, who reportedly had been drinking, and a couple—a Jewish woman and an Asian man—whom he did not know.

Story continues after the video.

Galliano reportedly said, “dirty Jewish face, you should be dead” to Geraldine Bloch, 35, according to the French daily le Figaro, which had access to police reports with eyewitness accounts of the event.

Le Figaro reported that Galliano then grabbed Bloch by the hair and shouted at her companion, Philippe Virgiti, 41, “F**king Asian bastard, I will kill you.”

The sought-after designer was taken into custody, questioned by police and tested for blood-alcohol levels before being quickly released.

Galliano denies making any racist statements and filed an official complaint for libel one day later, on Feb. 25.

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