CEO of Jewish org ‘urged’ Met honchos to cancel John Galliano Gala theme

The CEO of a Jewish civil rights and advocacy organization urged Met honchos to cancel the 2027 Gala’s John Galliano theme in a last-ditch crisis meeting, Page Six has exclusively learned.

Multiple sources told us Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) had breakfast with Max Hollein, CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a few weeks ago at the Loews Regency New York hotel.

At least one Met board member was also present, we’re told.

“[Greenblatt] was urging them to reverse the decision on the Galliano show,” one of our sources said, noting that while the eventual decision was the result of “a combination of things,” Greenblatt was “one of the loud voices from the Jewish community.”

A second source echoed the nature of the aforementioned “meeting,” saying Greenblatt was “pushing [them] to make the right decision.”

Reps for the Met, Vogue and ADL did not respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.

Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that Galliano, Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton, the curator of the Costume Institute, met with Greenblatt and influential rabbis from NYC temples over the last year, claiming “most of the Jewish leaders came away satisfied that Galliano’s repentance was genuine.” They also told the Times they were assured that the exhibition would address the issue of his hate speech.

Just last month, the Times quoted Greenblatt as saying, “We believe John Galliano has genuinely worked through the issues that led to his antisemitic outburst years ago in Paris, and we have long since accepted his apology. His efforts to repair the damage his words caused and to learn from that incident should be applauded.”

But Greenblatt quickly took to X at the time to insist his comment “was not printed in full,” adding, “We do understand, however, why some Jews may question the decision to include Galliano’s work in an exhibit given the massive spike in antisemitism in recent years. And it’s not just the increase in incidents that’s at issue; it’s also the insensitivity that political leaders in this city and elsewhere have shown toward the Jewish community.

“We hope the museum leadership and those responsible for the presentation of this exhibit are responsive to this reality.”

Indeed, antisemitic hate crimes have remained a significant concern in NYC in recent years, consistently accounting for a disproportionate share of the city’s reported hate crimes.

Earlier on Monday, Galliano himself revealed he would no longer be honored at the annual Wintour-helmed ball, which was met with much controversy when it was announced earlier this month.

“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,” the UK-born fashion designer, 65, wrote in a lengthy statement shared via Instagram.

He went on to explain, “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 [sic] and respect that an exhibition honouring [sic] my work would be painful for some.”

Galliano — who in 2010 and 2011 made antisemitic and racist remarks at a bar in Paris, for which he was later found guilty and sentenced to fines — continued, “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.

“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.”

Historically, the Met Gala takes place the first Monday of every May.

The “John Galliano: Horizons” exhibit, specifically, was set to fall on Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.

The Times’ report from the weekend claimed Met trustees and board members had been “scrambling to do damage control” and “mulling whether to move the date,” as donors had “threatened to rescind gifts to the museum.”

Wintour, for her part, commended Galliano’s “very courageous” decision to pull out of the event, arguing that it indicates the “measure of the man he is.”

She went on to call it the “right decision,” adding that “both he and the Museum have [her] full support.”

Meanwhile, the Met said details of a new exhibition would be announced “at a later date.”