The Metropolitan Museum of Art is canceling its planned Met Gala exhibit centered on John Galliano, the museum and fashion designer said in a joint statement Monday.
Galliano was at the pinnacle of the fashion world for years before he made a series of antisemitic and racist comments 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.
The museum said plans for a new exhibit powering the 2027 edition of the Met Gala would be announced later.
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.”