{
  "id": 4686012,
  "title": "John Galliano bows out of Met exhibition as backlash over antisemitism mounts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/john-galliano-bows-out-of-met-exhibition-as-backlash-over",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T18:00:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-907167"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "John Galliano has canceled his appearance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art due to a surge of backlash over the museum's decision to showcase his work, despite his history of antisemitic and racist comments. Galliano claimed on Monday that he had decided the exhibition should not proceed \"at this time\" after discussions with the Met and others involved. He acknowledged the hurt his past words caused, especially to Jewish and Asian communities. The Metropolitan Museum announced it concurred with Galliano's decision.\n\nThe Met had planned to honor Galliano with its spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition, a significant honor that would make him the third living designer to have a solo show at the museum. The exhibition was to coincide with the Met Gala, one of New York's most prominent cultural events. Opposition to the exhibition grew in recent weeks, with criticism coming from various quarters. Dana Thomas, Galliano's biographer, wrote in the New York Times that the Met had made a grave error in honoring him. Jewish leaders, museum donors, and New York politicians publicly urged the museum to reconsider the decision.\n\nProminent figures like New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Met donor Alice Tisch criticized the exhibition, with Tisch calling it a \"whitewash.\" The controversy was further complicated by meetings between some prominent rabbis and Galliano, who they believed had genuine remorse. However, they still urged the museum to make clear the antisemitic conduct and the lessons of his repentance in the exhibition.\n\nGalliano's cancellation leaves the Met without a spring 2027 Costume Institute exhibition. The museum stated that further details about a replacement exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala will be announced later. This decision has been welcomed by the Anti-Defamation League, who had previously accepted Galliano's apology but acknowledged the rising antisemitism in recent years. The ADL's CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, expressed disappointment with the Met's decision at this time, emphasizing that timing matters.",
  "summary": "The Metropolitan Museum of Art has canceled a planned exhibition honoring British designer John Galliano, which was set to open in May 2027. The decision comes after weeks of backlash over Galliano's past antisemitic and racist remarks. According to the BBC World, Galliano was fired as creative director of Christian Dior in 2011 and found guilty of abusing a Jewish curator in a Paris restaurant.\n\nGalliano and the Met announced the cancellation on Monday, with Galliano stating that he remains \"fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past\" and \"deeply sorry\" for the hurt he caused to the Jewish and Asian communities. The exhibition, titled \"John Galliano: Horizons,\" will be replaced by another show to be announced later, as stated by Met director and CEO Max Hollein.\n\nThe reversal was made less than a month after the Met announced the exhibition, which had sparked severe backlash in the Jewish community and beyond. Galliano's past statements, including a conviction for making antisemitic remarks, had led to widespread criticism, prompting him to reflect on his actions and decide that it was best for the exhibition not to take place at this time.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "John Galliano's Met Gala exhibit canceled amid backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/john-gallianos-met-gala-exhibit-canceled-amid-backlash",
        "published": "2026-08-31T13:37:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Met Gala exhibit honouring John Galliano cancelled amid backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/met-gala-exhibit-honouring-john-galliano-cancelled-amid-backlash",
        "published": "2026-08-31T14:38:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "Met Gala honouring John Galliano cancelled following backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/met-gala-honouring-john-galliano-cancelled-following-backlash",
        "published": "2026-08-31T14:57:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "'I remain deeply sorry': John Galliano call off Met Gala retropective show over racism row",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/i-remain-deeply-sorry-john-galliano-call-off-met-gala-retropective",
        "published": "2026-08-31T15:15:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "National Post",
        "title": "John Galliano withdraws from Met Gala exhibition after antisemitism backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/john-galliano-withdraws-from-met-gala-exhibition-after-antisemitism",
        "published": "2026-08-31T15:18:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "John Galliano exhibition at New York Met cancelled after backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/john-galliano-exhibition-at-new-york-met-cancelled-after-backlash",
        "published": "2026-08-31T15:30:05.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Met Gala exhibition honoring John Galliano canceled",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/met-gala-exhibition-honoring-john-galliano-canceled",
        "published": "2026-08-31T15:34:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "John Galliano pulls out of Met exhibit following controversy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/john-galliano-pulls-out-of-met-exhibit-following-controversy",
        "published": "2026-08-31T16:49:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Le Monde English",
        "title": "Galliano pulls his Met Gala exhibition after antisemitism backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/galliano-pulls-his-met-gala-exhibition-after-antisemitism-backlash",
        "published": "2026-08-31T17:39:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}