In the wake of the anti-Semitic remarks he was seen making in a video leaked online yesterday,
Dior issued a statement this morning saying that designer John Galliano has been fired, effective immediately. "I very firmly condemn what was said by John Galliano, which totally contradicts the values which have always been defended by Christian Dior," said Christian Dior CEO Sidney Toledano.
Having watched the racist rant, Natalie Portman, the Israeli-born face of Miss Dior Chérie, also released a statement last night. The newly crowned Best Actress Oscar winner said: "I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano's comments that surfaced today."
"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. 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."
Dior suspended John Galliano last week after the designer was arrested for allegedly hurling anti-Semitic abuse at a couple sitting near him at La Perle bar in the fashionable Marais district in Paris.
As millions watched Natalie Portman's TV ad for Miss Dior Cherie perfume air during the 2011 Oscars, a different video starring Dior designer John Galliano was also coming to light.
Its shocking, anti-Semitic content puts him on a collision course with the proudly Jewish Portman.
She was asked about Galliano's comments in the backstage press room after her Best Actress Academy Awards win, but was prevented from answering by the event moderator.
The U.K.'s Sun newspaper has obtained film of earlier remarks made by Galliano that are allegedly similar to those that resulted in his arrest, and subsequent suspension by the fashion house on Friday.
In this disturbing video he declares, "I love Hitler!"
Apparently drunk at the La Perle brasserie in Paris, he tells those filming the exchange, "People like you would be dead today. Your mothers and forefathers would be (expletive) gassed."
The video foreshadows an ugly incident that allegedly happened in Paris late last week, which resulted in Galliano being charged by police with assaulting a couple in a cafe.
While the people he was speaking with in the earlier Sun video were not in fact Jewish, the face of Dior's new perfume, Natalie Portman, was born in Jerusalem. She is a steadfast supporter of Jewish causes and in 2003 received the Israel Cultural Award.
In 2005, she told author Abigail Pogrebin in "Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish": "I have a very close friend who lately has this European, anti-Israel way of thinking, and it's very hard to have conversations with him. ... (Being Israeli has) become a much bigger part of my identity in recent years because it's become an issue of survival."
It remains to be seen how this development will affect her relationship with the European luxury brand. A spokesperson for Dior was not available overnight for comment.
A personal note from me:
This is a very sad day here for me because I have adored Galliano and his design aesthetic for years and having now seen the actual footage which I WILL NOT POST here. I am deeply saddened, disturbed, shocked and utterly revolted by suxch a small minded man. It is my deepest hope that somehow the Dior label will continue in its design and fine even better Galliano. This will also be the only post I will do about this topic, ever and MY FINAL time posting anything in any way about him ever again.
Most of this decision is because last month I disovered in my family heritage a direct maternal tie to the Jewish race myself and since then have fully accepted and will take furhter action in my life to fully and freely my Jewish roots. What amazes me beyond anything is that this coming from a clearly out gay man--- I mean someone who knows discrimination clearly from every side and his entire life yet has the hutzpah to spew such vile filth. Enough
"If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat Party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine. Let’s be honest, you know, some of the people in the media are complicit with this and enabling them to get that type of message out. You have the president, who has an incredible megaphone and a platform, and he has people all across this country believing that the only people on Capitol Hill are House Republicans. He’s not talking anything about his controlled Senate. So, it’s a great propaganda machine. And I have to give him kudos for being able to leverage that." - GOP Rep. Allen West. 
