John Galliano has withdrawn from a planned exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ending plans for the showcase that was expected to inspire the theme of the 2027 Met Gala. The decision comes amid renewed scrutiny of the fashion designer’s controversial past.
Now, reports indicate that the Anti-Defamation League CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, had urged Met officials to cancel the Galliano-themed event.
On August 31, fashion designer John Galliano and Met Gala officials released a statement that the 2027 “John Galliano: Horizons” exhibition will no longer proceed, as The Blast reported.
The news came after months of scrutiny over the Met Gala theme, which courted controversy because it would have honored Galliano despite his history of antisemitic and racist remarks. The timing of the exhibition’s planned opening on Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day, also drew heavy criticism.
In 2011, Galliano was arrested in Paris after verbally accosting a couple with antisemitic remarks. He was charged, and later convicted, of making “public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race, or ethnicity.” The following year, then French President François Hollande stripped Galliano of his Legion of Honor, the most prestigious medal awarded by the French Republic.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt Reportedly Had A Crisis Meeting With Met Officials
With antisemitism at crisis levels, the Met honoring John Galliano at this moment was misguided, and even Galliano ultimately recognized what the Met should have done from the start. This was the wrong move at the wrong moment. Timing matters.
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) August 31, 2026
The official announcement from The Met stated that The Met CEO, Max Hollein, and Galliano had “thoughtful discussions” and decided not to continue with the exhibition.
Now, several sources claim that Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, met with Hollein and another Met board member to discuss the controversial Met Gala theme. One source told Page Six that the decision to cancel the exhibition was based on “a combination of things,” but Greenblatt made the Jewish community’s voice heard.
“[Greenblatt] was urging them to reverse the decision on the Galliano show,” the source noted.
Following Galliano’s announcement, Greenblatt took to X and said the Galliano exhibit was “the wrong move at the wrong moment.”
The CEO Also Met With Anna Wintour And Andrew Bolton About The Met Gala
Greenblatt, together with a few rabbis, reportedly also met with Met Trustee Anna Wintour and Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton about the controversial Met Gala.
Galliano has apologized multiple times for his past antisemitic remarks, and according to a report by The New York Times, many Jewish leaders believed the designer’s “repentance was genuine.” However, Greenblatt later clarified his remarks to the outlet, saying that some parts of his statement were not printed in the report.
On X, he posted the full statement and expressed hope that The Met officials would respond accordingly.
Anna Wintour Commends John Galliano For His Courage
The “John Galliano: Horizons” theme for the 2027 Met Gala was announced in July. Shortly after, Wintour released a statement: “There is no one more deserving of an exhibition of this scale than John Galliano… His career isn’t defined by a single moment.”
According to reports, The Met was well aware that honoring Galliano was controversial, yet they decided to proceed. Along with the announcement, the press release noted that the exhibit would touch on the designer’s past.
“Alongside Galliano’s extraordinary creative accomplishments, the exhibition will address the derogatory conduct that fundamentally altered his career and public reception,” The Met noted, adding that the exhibit will also highlight “ethical accountability.”
Following the cancellation, Wintour said Galliano’s decision to withdraw was “very courageous” and “a measure of the man he is.”
Will The 2027 Met Gala Move Forward?
With no theme for next year’s Met Gala, many are wondering whether the event will still push forward. Since the event’s launch in 1948, the annual celebration has only been canceled a handful of times. It takes about five months or more to plan fashion’s biggest night, leaving plenty of time for organizers to regroup.
Per The Met’s press release, more information about how the 2027 costume exhibition will proceed will be announced at a later time.
