Galliano On Trial Today, Says "Hitler" Video Shows "Someone Who Needs Help"

By Jenna Sauers | June 22, 2011 | 5:10pm

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John Galliano‘s trial on hate crime charges is taking place in Paris at this very moment, and the ex-Dior designer is testifying in his own defense. When asked about the infamous video in which he declared his love for Hitler, Galliano said the clip showed someone who was a “shell of John Galliano”, “someone that needs help, who’s vulnerable.” He continued, “I have all my life fought against prejudice, having been subjected to it myself.” Galliano was to face charges in connection with two separate incidents, one that took place in October of 2010 and one in February of 2011, in which he is alleged to have hurled racist and anti-Semitic invective at three different victims — but only two of the plaintiffs, Géraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, showed up in court this morning. The trial is taking place before a panel of three judges, not a jury, because the charges are considered “minor.” The judges likely won’t rule until the fall. The media is nonetheless out in full force, and at least three reporters are live-Tweeting the proceedings. Bloch, the art curator who alleges Galliano called her a “dirty Jewish whore” (which in France is legally actionable) with “ridiculous eyebrows” and “low-end boots” (which are not), is seeking symbolic damages of €1; Virgitti, who says Galliano called him a “fucking Asian bastard” wants €220,000 in damages. On the witness stand, a soberly dressed Galliano claimed he had almost no memory of the February evening due to his alcohol and drug use — but that he did remember Virgitti acting very aggressively towards him. Galliano said that he began drinking heavily after the deaths of his father and his close friend and working partner, Steven Robinson. And because of the pressures of his job as the head designer at Christian Dior; after each creative high would come a crash, and a renewed despair of ever succeeding on that level again. A fashion student who happened to be at the bar was called as a witness; she testified that she did not hear Galliano use any anti-Semitic insults, but that she did hear him insult Virgitti’s race. Virgitti, for his part, testified that at first he had mistaken the designer for a homeless person. When the presiding judge read Galliano’s alleged remarks into the record, the audience laughed nervously at her strong French accent. “‘Bitch’ means ‘salope,'” said the judge. [WWD, @shona_F24, @GQfashion, @ashojlo]
Before the trial, Galliano’s new lawyer, Aurélien Hamelle, said his client had a drug problem. “One obvious thing is that John Galliano was ill. He had a triple addiction to alcohol, benzodiazepine (Valium) and sleeping pills … The combined effect of these drugs is a state of complete and utter abandon.” Hamelle said Galliano popped Valium “like candy.” [Reuters]

Miley Cyrus‘ line with Max Azria for Wal-Mart seems to be dunzo. BCBG Max Azria has secured $230 million in emergency refinancing, which will allow the company to remain in operation — and, just maybe, to pay some of those outstanding vendor invoices that have been piling up since February. (The company’s public relations firm also quit.) But Azria had to close what it described as “a major mass-market business,” and since both Tex by Max Azria and Max Rave have already been wound down, the only one of those that remains is the Miley Cyrus collab. [WWD]

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