John Galliano's Met Gala exhibit canceled amid backlash over antisemitic remarks

Designer John Galliano and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City say the planned exhibition highlighting his work in conjunction with the 2027 Met Gala will not be going forward, following weeks of backlash.

The British designer said in a social media post on Monday that after "much reflection and discussion, with all those involved, I've decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time." The Met confirmed in a statement that the "Spring 2027 exhibition devoted to his four-decade oeuvre will not proceed as planned."

The decision to highlight the work by Galliano, who is known for his theatrical and dramatic designs, sparked widespread controversy earlier this month due to his history of antisemitic and racist comments. Those remarks, in 2010 and 2011, led to his dismissal from Christian Dior in 2011 and a hate crime conviction in France.

"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," Galliano said in his statement on Monday.

Met Gala chair Anna Wintour, the longtime Vogue editor-in-chief and chief content officer at Condé Nast, called Galliano's decision "very courageous and a measure of the man he is."

"I believe this is the right decision, and both he and the Museum have my full support," she said.

Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of The Met's Costume Institute, said, "I believe deeply in the responsibility of museums to examine difficult histories with rigor, candor, and care. I also recognize the pain and concern this exhibition has caused."

In recent weeks, opposition to the exhibit continued to grow as donors threatened to rescind gifts to the museum it if moved forward as planned, The New York Times reported. 

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, one of the most senior Jewish officials in city government, was among the most vocal voices against the exhibit. In a statement Monday, she said she was pleased with the Met's decision to "not honor" Galliano at its next gala.

"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," Menin said.

Galliano, who was the creative director at Dior for 15 years, helped transform the fashion house into a global powerhouse before his downfall. In 2014, he became the creative director of Maison Margiela, a post he held for a decade.

"He sort of was integral to the change and the transformation of the fashion industry, and he was also one of the final designers to sort of do innovative fashion," Lauren Sherman, a CBS News fashion contributor and Puck fashion correspondent, told "CBS Mornings" earlier this month. "The '90s was sort of the last time we saw anything new."

Sherman said Anna Wintour worked closely with Galliano over the last 10 years to give him a second chance in the fashion industry and help him get the job at Maison Margiela. Wintour appeared in the 2024 documentary, "High & Low - John Galliano," that traced the story of Galliano's rise, fall and rehabilitation.

Galliano was set to become only the third living designer to be the subject of a solo show at the Met's Costume Institute.

The Met said it will announce details on a new spring Costume Institute exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala at a later date.