John Galliano just released an apology for the racist comments that cost him his post at Christian Dior.
Here’s the complete statement:
“Since the events of last Thursday evening I have not been able to make any public comment on what took place based upon advice from my French lawyer. However, given the continuing delays at the French Prosecutor’s Office I should make my position clear.
“I completely deny the claims made against me and have fully co-operated with the police investigation.
“A number of independent witnesses have given evidence and have told the police that I was subjected to verbal harassment and an unprovoked assault when an individual tried to hit me with a chair having taken violent exception to my look and my clothing. For these reasons I have commenced proceedings for defamation and the threats made against me.
“However, I fully accept that the accusations made against me have greatly shocked and upset people.
“I must take responsibility for the circumstances in which I found myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light.
“I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people’s understanding and compassion. To start this process I am seeking help and all I can hope for in time is to address the personal failure which led to these circumstances and try and earn people’s forgiveness.
“I have fought my entire life against prejudice, intolerance and discrimination, having been subjected to it myself. In all my work my inspiration has been to unite people of every race, creed, religion and sexuality by celebrating their cultural and ethnic diversity through fashion. That remains my guiding light.
“Anti-semitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologise for my behaviour in causing any offence.”
Designer(s): John Galliano
Season: Fall 2011 Paris
Most Popular Stories
Comments [12]
Popular Stories
The 10 Best YouTube Hair Tutorials
The 10 Best YouTube Makeup Tutorials 
Fashion's Most Stylish Guys Give Mark Zuckerberg an (Almost!) Hoodie-Free Makeover for Facebook's IPO
Style and Substance: 10 Ladies Who Have Proven You Can Have Both
10 Beauty Boards You Should Be Following on Pinterest
This seems less apologetic and more defiant, like a small child who has been caught doing something wrong with his friend. “I’m sorry… but he started it!” It also feels like he’s more sorry that he was drunk in public. I think a simpler statement would have been much better; this one just isn’t doing much for me.
How do you deny any allegations made against you while only having yourself to blame, all the while acknowledging that a personal failure was the cause of this? This statement is so incongruous.
This seems less apologetic and more defiant, like a small child who has been caught doing something wrong with his friend. “I’m sorry… but he started it!” It also feels like he’s more sorry that he was drunk in public. I think a simpler statement would have been much better; this one just isn’t doing much for me.
It’s slightly better than what I expected. Considering some of the ridiculous fashion industry comments passing for advice, it’s comparatively a decent start.
This particular gem was particularly brain dead.
http://www.signature9.com/fashion/pr-fail-max-clifford-gives-john-galliano-the-worst-damage-control-advice-ever
So… basically he is still denying he did anything wrong… other than maybe being drunk in a bar?and only thing he is sorry about is that these unjust accusations have upset people? No where near good enough, It makes me wonder if he has seen the video of his rant.
“I only have myself to blame” and “I can hope for in time is to address the personal failure which led to these circumstances and try and earn people’s forgiveness” are two statements that make absolutely no sense with the notion that he’s denying all allegations made against him.
Ah, but what personal failure is he talking about? His hateful comments or his drunkenness? From this quote I take it that he is still denying that he made any racist statements. “I completely deny the claims made against me and have fully co-operated with the police investigation.” He seems to be addressing only what happen last week not what was shown in the video. From a strictly legal standpoint that might make sense, but I think the video in the long run is more damaging than the legal case against him. Even if he can convince a court or courts that he didn’t make racist statements in that confrontation. The video still show that he did on another occasion.
Absolutely I agree that the video is far more damaging. Before the second claim was made, I was giving him benefit of the doubt that he did not say anything of the sort (though I was still glad for a rejuvenation at Dior.)
Sorry, I can seem to reply to your reply.
I think there is a fundamental conflict between what he needs to do to prevail in his legal battle(s) and what needs to do salvage his reputation. The video most likely is not going factor into the legal cases against him. So…. from a legal standpoint his lawyers are probably insisting that he doesn’t discus it either…. or at least until the legal issue have been settled. But, even if the video isn’t shown in court it will be shown or mentioned by news outlets every time he refutes the charges against him in court. The contrasting images of denial in court and guilt in the video are not going to help him move forward.
You now, it’s not like anyone took what he said seriously. That news guy who a few months ago made the comment that he was scared of muslims when he saw them in public was, IMHO, much worse because it was taken as an okay thing to say instead of a heinous expression of bigotry, which it was.
He has black and white swans living in him: one one hand he loves Hitler, on another one he celebrates people’s cultural and ethnic diversity in his work but then again he wants to gas them. Even Natalie Portman cannot relate and you think she would know what it feels like after getting an Oscar. :)
This was not an apology aimed at those persons he directly offended or the public at large. This was a contradictory attempt to salvage his reputation among fashion insiders days before his collections hit the Paris catwalk to avoid the humiliation of empty seats. If he denies all allegations, then what is he apologizing for? Being drunk? That hardly warrants a global mea culpa. For his “personal failure” – whatever that may be? What he is sorry for – and what many of his fashion counterparts are sorry for – is that he was caught. Kill the messenger, as many are focusing on the fact that he was filmed without his permission and/or harrassed and instigated. Be that as it may, it was Galliano’s choice as to how to react and which words to use. Alcohol may well have been a factor, but again it was Galliano’s choice to over-indulge.