14 DAY TRIAL // Over the weekend, a couple accused Dior designer John Galliano of assault and racist attack. In the meantime, a video shot before the incident emerged, in which he says he “loves Hitler.” As such, Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman wants nothing to do with him.
The designer, who has been removed from the House of Dior because of these two incidents, is currently laying low, perhaps waiting for all this to blow over.
Natalie Portman is the face of Dior but, to the surprise of many, she opted for Rodarte at the Oscars 2011, which prompted speculation she may be trying to cut ties with Dior and Galliano.
Indeed, it seems that this is was precisely what she was doing, judging by the statement she released for JustJared, in which she says she doesn’t have words to describe Galliano’s behavior.
“I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today,” Natalie says in the statement.
Portman is a Jew and she was born in Israel so, even if she’s the face of Dior, she sees no need to stand by the designer, who has already been removed from the fashion house.
“In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way,” Portman adds in the same statement.
“I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful,” she says.
As noted above, the scandal began when the couple accused Galliano of hurling anti-Semitic remarks at them and assaulting them without provocation in a café in Paris.
The designer’s rep initially said exhaustion and stress were to blame for his outburst. Then, the video you will see at the end of the article surfaced, proving that, indeed, Galliano was racist.
In it, he’s seen telling two Italian girls that he “loves Hitler” and that, if he had a choice, they would be “gassed” because “they’re ugly.”