By William Stolerman

John Galliano has been suspended by Christian Dior, his employer of 13 years, after an alleged anti-Semitic attack against a couple in Paris’ Marais district, the traditional home of the city’s Jewish community.

Galliano was believed to have been drinking heavily last Thursday when he launched the racist outburst in a busy covered terrace in front of dozens of astonished revellers. Several members of the crowd called the police.

A Police source said: “We arrived extremely quickly and managed to break up the disturbance. The man involved was briefly arrested and then released pending charges for assault.”

“Witnesses said he swore heavily, using anti-Jewish insults, before attacking a couple. Both have provided witness statements, as have a number of other people at the bar, including staff.”

According to Géraldine Bloch, the woman Galliano allegedly insulted, he shouted: “Shut your mouth, dirty whore” and “you are so ugly you can’t bear to look at yourself. You are nothing but a whore, that’s plain to see”. She also told police that he also called her a “dirty Jew face.”

When she went to complain to bar staff, they are said to have replied: “This guy deserves to be beaten up, but we can’t do anything, it’s John Galliano.”

Dior said he would be asked to stay away from work pending the outcome of the police investigation: “Dior affirms with the utmost conviction its policy of zero tolerance towards any anti-Semitic or racist words or behaviour,” said Dior chief executive, Sidney Toledano. “Pending the results of the inquiry, Christian Dior has suspended John Galliano from his responsibilities.”

In turn, Galliano has denied all allegations of racism and anti-Semitism, as well as filed a legal complaint of his own against the couple for defamation, intimidation and slander.

What’s more, it’s since emerged that a video purporting to show Galliano in a seperate racist outburst has been sent to a French newspaper.

In the video, seen by Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), Galliano is described as “pathetic, with slurred speech” as he spoke to the other customers at the La Perle bar. The newspaper also claims the film shows John Galliano telling neighbouring customers in the Parisian bar that their parents should have been “gassed”.

The incident leaves serious question marks over the Christian Dior fashion show planned for Paris Fashion Week on March 4.

Via [telegraph] & [bloomberg] & [vancouversun] & [thesun]

www.dior.com