Another day, another anti-Semitic tirade from a celebrity. This time, the culprit is John Galliano, fashion icon and (until about an hour ago) head designer of Christian Dior.

Galliano pulled a Mel Gibson last night at Paris’s trendy La Perle bar and restaurant, where he was arrested for hurling anti-Semitic taunts at a couple dining there. According to the London Telegraph, the 50-year-old mega-designer “swore heavily, using anti-Jewish insults, before attacking [the] couple.” (Making anti-Semitic remarks is illegal in France and punishable with up to six months in the slammer.)

There is no word on what led to the altercation and the celeb’s lawyers are denying accusations of anti-Semitism.

Unsurprisingly (and in a smart PR move), Dior suspended Galliano pending the conclusion of an investigation into the incident. In a statement, Christian Dior Couture’s chairman and chief executive officer, Sidney Toledano, said that the company “has an unequivocal zero-tolerance policy regarding anti-Semitism and racism”

The arrest comes in the run-up to Paris fashion week, which is scheduled to start next Monday and at which Dior is one of the most high-profile shows.

We didn’t get an invite. Just sayin.

Are you one of our 2%?

Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.

But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses  —  take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.

Don’t just read the Forward — invest in it. Support our work today!

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT