The model, who has worked closely with the designer for years, spoke out about his recent behavior and her experience working with him.
John Galliano‘s anti-Semitic slurs and alleged assault charges have cost the designer his position at Christian Dior, just days before the show on Mar. 4 during Paris Fashion Week — and everyone, including a-lister Natalie Portman, is talking about it. While Natalie has denounced the designer, saying she was, “shocked and disgusted,” by his behavior, model Chanel Iman defends Galliano and exclusively told HollywoodLife.com about the caring man she has known for years.
“I love John Galliano. I’ve been working with him for years and he is one of the most amazing, genius men in this business,” she said at the launch of the Victoria’s Secret Incredible bra on Mar. 1. “He is one of the most creative, genius designers that I’ve worked with and he’s so open to all types of people. He’s loving and he’s caring and I wish him all the best.”
Chanel, who has walked in the Dior show in the past, said she’s flying out tonight for Paris Fashion Week and she’s so excited for the upcoming collection. The model is even bringing along two of her closest girlfriends. “I love just being there [in Paris], it’s really beautiful. I love eating there, going out, and partying. My two closest girlfriends are coming with me this year which is really exciting. They’ve never been to Paris or experienced the whole culture and the shows,” she said.
Katrina Mitzeliotis
Click to see celebs wearing John Galliano’s dresses on the red carpet
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Wilma
Posted at 3:05 PM on March 3, 2011
The man was drunk. At least he does not fly a flag or wear a T-shirt with the confederate flag on it, like a lot of NASCAR and people from the south, who forget Robert E. Lee was wrong and lost the battle. Hollywood is full of hypocrites. If we judge everyone not by actions but by one rant, then we need to get rid of several actors in Hollywood. Insiders know there are several big name actors throughtout the yeras who have used the N-word, but we kept quiet because there was not anyone around who would have been offended.
imeanwhat
Posted at 12:54 PM on March 2, 2011
I get it, he’s terrible for making anti Semitic remarks, but what the hell is going on with his hat in that video? Very disheartening…read more @imeanwhat http://bit.ly/hNh87R
Pam
Posted at 2:13 AM on March 2, 2011
Chanel, I’m so happy that, to you, John Galliano is loving and caring. It’s too bad that he couldn’t treat everyone that way. Would you still be defending him if he had been taped using the ‘N’ word? I don’t think so.
Kat50
Posted at 10:28 PM on March 1, 2011
To paraphrase, let’s try this, shall we? “I love Adolph Hitler. I’ve been working with him for years and he is one of the most amazing, genius men in this business.” Kinda makes ya wanna puke, don’t it?
Emilou
Posted at 6:42 PM on March 1, 2011
She sounds (and looks) like a complete airhead. I doubt she’s even heard about what he did and said at that Paris cafe… or that she’s ever heard of the Holocaust, for that matter. Stick to your runway, dear. The rest of us will provide the commentary.
mr. mask
Posted at 6:49 PM on March 3, 2011
she knows the guy personally and you’re just an idiot blogger with your own moronic opinion. she’s merely stating that from her experience she knows him to be a good person. she wasn’t commenting, YOU are commenting..people actually care about what she has to say.
Jim Morrison
Posted at 6:15 PM on March 1, 2011
Chanel, Perhap’s you might want to watch Schindler’s list a few more times before you respond with defense for a lack of basic, humanistic respect of which Adolf Hitler did not possess!
MmakerM
Posted at 1:21 PM on March 2, 2011
…excuse me. Schindler’s List was/is a movie. Whether based on actual accounts or completely fictitious… its a Movie.
Adolf Hitler will always be the bad guy because his side lost.
Liann
Posted at 4:17 PM on March 1, 2011
Threatening to send the ghost of some historical villain to gas people is just plain silly drunken talk. It is not antisemitic any more than saying Jesus will make you burn in hell. It’s just crazy talk, about burning in hell, I mean.
Audrey
Posted at 6:06 PM on March 1, 2011
Liann with a double ‘n’ is obviously a child who doesn’t realise that just because you’re drunk doesn’t mean you get to write-off everything you say. No matter what state you’re in you take responsibility for you’re actions, words no matter who you are.
MmakerM
Posted at 1:15 PM on March 2, 2011
Audrey, I will bet anything that YOU are the last person to take responsibility for what you say.
Calling someone a child based on one comment on the Hollywood Life forum page?
You are a reactive person who clearly doesn’t give much thought to anything except, “where’s my McDonalds happy meal…”
Christina
Posted at 7:54 PM on March 1, 2011
Liann—you r so stupid and dumb—please think b4 u post anything–maybe u should hang out with that disgusting pig who just got fired from Dior. Hitler was a murderer–Jesus was a good man who tried to help people. Hitler and Charles Manson and the current Libyan psycho can all be lumped in the same category of devils. Again–Liana u r dumb. That psycho from Dior is the one who should burn in hell.
MmakerM
Posted at 1:11 PM on March 2, 2011
anyone who believes all this is out of their mind.
hitler wasn’t the first murderer and he won’t be the last. calling these people devils? your the devil then!
liana isn’t dumb. her comment is right on.
Carol
Posted at 1:22 PM on March 1, 2011
Does anyone care what Natalie Portman thinks?
Beau
Posted at 7:31 PM on March 1, 2011
You bet I do! She is one of the most caring and intelligent people in the world. She is the definition of a role model, not only to women and young girls, but to anyone who needs a strong and moralistic mentor. As for this incident, unfortunately she has unwittingly been inserted into the controversy, because she is a smart high-profile Jewish woman who happens to represent Dior. She didn’t ask to be involved, but you can bet she has the courage to step up and defend her heritage. If she didn’t, one can bet she would have been admonished as being weak and just another celebrity nut job. This woman should be the model for women everywhere.
MmakerM
Posted at 1:24 PM on March 2, 2011
…uh
Has anyone here listened to Natalie speak during an interview? She’s not exactly an articulate/well spoken person. She comes across as a… dumb blond.
I pray she is NOT a role model for any young girl or boy or anyone.
Jay
Posted at 6:57 PM on March 4, 2011
A woman pregnant out of wedlock is not fit to be a role model to a cat much less a human being.
Pam
Posted at 2:15 AM on March 2, 2011
Absolutely? Did you not know that she is the newest face for Dior fragrances, with her ads to appear soon?
As a Jewish woman, and a face of the brand, she could hardly NOT comment.
I understand that you might think that she’s all, “I’m an important Oscar winner now”, but do your research, please.
JB
Posted at 1:17 PM on March 1, 2011
NOBODY CARES WHAT YOU THINK, CHANEL!
anon
Posted at 1:38 PM on March 1, 2011
yes! I care what Natalie Portman thinks. She is an Oscar winning actress that is against hate, as opposed to hateful intolerant people that have no place in our society and deserve to be in jail.
Hypocrite Detector
Posted at 1:48 PM on March 1, 2011
Oops, you just displayed intolerance of someone else’s views… report to the nearest jail and turn yourself in.
Guest
Posted at 6:07 PM on March 1, 2011
To Hypocrite Detector – There’s a big difference
between hating an idea and hating a person or
group of people. Please learn the difference!
There is no virtue in tolerating an idea that
is evil or wrong! Not all ideas are equally
worthy. One doesn’t “tolerate” the idea that
2 + 2 = 5. It is simply wrong. Likewise,
anti-semitism is morally wrong.
MmakerM
Posted at 1:35 PM on March 2, 2011
Prove that hating is wrong. Prove it is morally wrong.
People will always hate as much as people will always love.
How do you know that 2+2=5 is wrong? Can you prove it? Have you considered that someone may not work in base 10? Do you know what base 10 means?
You assume an awful lot. You assume the man in question is guilty… you assume the hateful comment has NO hate behind it… because you see it the way YOU WANT.
Hypocrite Detector
Posted at 2:09 AM on March 3, 2011
As long as you get to be the judge of what thoughts are right or wrong. Thought crime is a slippery slope, that’s all I’m saying.
(BTW, the poster didn’t say the idea had no place in society an should be jailed, they said the people who have them. So it’s hate of one group of people based on their beliefs or another based on their Religion.)
MmakerM
Posted at 1:27 PM on March 2, 2011
Thank you!
MmakerM
Posted at 1:27 PM on March 2, 2011
oh really?
That’s kinda funny because YOUR COMMENT reeks of Hate!