The Metropolitan Museum of Art has cancelled an exhibition honouring John Galliano, which was set to anchor the 2027 Met Gala amid a backlash over the British designer’s history of antisemitic remarks.
Museum director Max Hollein said the institution and Galliano had jointly agreed not to proceed with the exhibition following “thoughtful discussions”.
Galliano called it a "sad" decision and apologised for “the pain caused by my words in the past”, insisting that his atonement for his comments is "a continuing responsibility".
Galliano's selection has proved controversial due to an antisemitic outburst in 2010 in which he expressed “love” for Adolf Hitler and told a group of Jewish women: “People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be f***ing gassed.
The video then resurfaced online in early 2011 around the time of Paris Fashion Week, and Galliano was subsequently charged with making public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity, which is a criminal offence in France.
In September of that year, he was found guilty and fined €6,000. During the trial, he maintained that the outburst had been the result of “work-related stress and multiple addictions” and that his frame of mind had been impacted by the death of Steve Robinson, a friend and business partner.
The scandal led Dior to suspend and then dismiss Galliano as its creative director. In a statement at the time, the fashion house described his comments as "particularly odious".
Galliano later apologised repeatedly for his behaviour, saying he had no memory of many of the incidents and attributing his conduct to alcoholism, drug addiction and personal struggles.
He has consistently denied being antisemitic, describing the remarks as incompatible with his beliefs, and has spoken publicly about his rehabilitation following treatment for addiction.
Nonetheless, the planned exhibition drew criticism from Jewish groups, with the ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt calling it the “wrong move at the wrong moment”.
However, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, a longtime Met Gala chair, called Galliano's decision to withdraw "courageous" and "a measure of the man he is".
Galliano also met Jewish leaders at a gathering arranged by both Wintour and Andrew Bolton.
The New York Times previously reported that some donors had contacted Met executives and threatened to withdraw endowments to the museum if the exhibition went ahead as planned – including major art dealer Arne Glimcher, who reportedly threatened to cut the museum out of his will.
The Met is a city-owned property, receiving millions of dollars of annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
The Met has not announced how it plans to replace the Galliano exhibit, meaning there is currently no theme for the 2027 Met Gala.
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