So, John Galliano, the flamboyant bad boy designer, was fired from his position at Christian Dior over alleged anti-Semitic remarks (and a video of him saying, "I love Hitler"), is currently in rehab and faces prosecution for the remarks, which supposedly include calling a woman a "dirty Jew face." But now his accuser says, "I don't believe he's racist or anti-Semitic ... I think above all that he's very ill and that for him it was about provocation."
The February 24 incident occurred at the Parisian cafe, La Perle—Galliano got into an argument with other patrons, and it got so heated that Philipe Virgitti called the police. Virgitti told Le Parisien that it started when Galliano told Geraldine Bloch, "Your voice irritates me, you're speaking too loud" and called her a "dirty Jew face." Virgitti said, "We stared at each other in the eyes. He hurled every kind of insult at us. He wanted to humiliate us." But now Virgitti feels bad! From the Daily Mail:
"Today I'm convinced his words went further than his thoughts. I don't believe he's racist or anti-Semitic ... I think above all that he's very ill and that for him it was about provocation".
"This whole business has left us traumatised," he said.
"I didn't even know at the time that this man was John Galliano.
"It was only the next morning when I looked on my computer and realised who it was.
"But ultimately it was just a row in a bar. John Galliano didn't deserve all this. I hope this business does not end up destroying him."
In France, it is illegal to incite racial hatred.
