The British fashion genius has been suspended as the head designer of Christian Dior, following his arrest for allegedly assaulting and hurling anti-Semitic remarks at a couple sitting on a café terrace in Paris.
'Dior affirms with the utmost conviction its policy of zero tolerance towards any antisemitic or racist words or behaviour,' Dior Chief Executive Sidney Toledano said in a statement on Friday.
'Pending the results of the inquiry, Christian Dior has suspended John Galliano from his responsibilities,' the statement added. The arrest comes just before Paris Fashion Week.
UPDATE:
John Galliano isn't going down without a fight.
The British fashion icon plans to sue a couple for defamation after they claimed he hurled anti-Semitic slurs at them at a restaurant in Paris, resulting in his suspension as head designer of Christian Dior.
"There was an altercation," Galliano's lawyer Stephane Zerbib acknowledged to AFP on Friday. "Mr. Galliano was verbally attacked, but at no point did he make any such insults, and we have witness testimony that backs this up."
The heated exchange occurred Thursday at La Perle café in the trendy Marais district, which has historically been the home of the area's Jewish community.
French newspaper Le Figaro gained access to the police reports and identified the couple as Géraldine Bloch, 35, and Philippe Virgiti, 41.
The female victim was interviewed by Europe 1, but asked that she remain anonymous.
She told the network that Galliano sat down at a table next to her and a male friend of Asian decent around 9 p.m. The designer then ordered a mojito and called the woman a "b---h".
The woman said as she called the cops, the 50-year-old designer continued "Dirty Jewish face, you should be dead. F-----g Asian bastard, I will kill you." The woman said she had no idea who Galliano was until a nearby diner told her.
It is still not clear why the argument began in the first place.
Galliano was briefly arrested and detained by police. Dior's Chief Executive Sidney Toledano said Friday that pending the results of the inquiry, Galliano was immediately suspended.
In France making anti-Semitic remarks is punishable by up to six months in prison. But so far, no charges have been filed against Galliano.
The arrest comes just days before Paris Fashion Week, where the Christian Dior show is scheduled to take place on March 4.
"Christian Dior without John Galliano would be a huge pity." Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani told London's Telegraph.
Galliano's lawyer said legal action will be taken against those making anti-Semitism allegations against him, adding the designer "is not at all in this state of mind (and) will explain later."
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