John Galliano is out of Met Gala 2027 after intense backlash over antisemitism

The Met Gala 2027 will no longer honor John Galliano.

The designer announced the news on Monday in an Instagram statement, writing, “After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time.”

He continued, “I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute. I also recognise and respect that an exhibition honouring my work would be painful for some.”

Galliano was a controversial pick for the Anna Wintour-helmed annual event as the designer was caught on video making antisemitic and racist remarks in a Paris café in 2011.

“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 continued in his statement. “I understand that meaningful atonement is not achieved through an exhibition, institutional recognition or a single public gesture. It is a continuing responsibility, demonstrated through listening, learning and one’s conduct over time.”

The “John Galliano: Horizons” exhibit was announced earlier this month and slated for the first Monday in May — which, in 2027, will fall on Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day. The New York Times reported over the weekend that “Met trustees and board members have been scrambling to do damage control” and “mulling whether to move the date,” with donors “threatening to rescind gifts to the museum.”

In a statement from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wintour said, “John’s decision that the exhibition devoted to his work should not take place at this time is 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.”

The museum also said that details of a new exhibition will be announced “at a later date.”

This is a developing story…