Top fashion designer John Galliano announced Monday he was cancelling an exhibition of his work that was to kick off New York's Met Gala next spring, following criticism from donors and political leaders over his past anti-Semitic remarks. "After much reflection and discussion with all those involved, I have decided, with great sadness, that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time," Galliano, 65, wrote on Instagram. "I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry," he added. A French court convicted Galliano in 2011 of making racist and anti-Semitic comments after he hurled racial slurs targeting Jewish and Asian people at patrons in a Paris bar. Footage from the incident showed Galliano saying “I love Hitler”. He also told patrons, who were Jewish, that their mothers and forefathers would have been “gassed”, as well as making derogatory comments to an Asian patron. The Briton, famed for his flamboyant personality and daring designs, was also fired from his job as creative director of Dior after the incident surfaced. Watch moreJohn Galliano in court over alleged anti-Semitic rant The Metropolitan Museum of Art had planned a nine-month exhibition of his work starting with the star-studded Met Gala next May but high-profile Jewish figures, including renowned art dealer Arne Glimcher and city council speaker Julie Menin, voiced opposition this month. "I do not want the debate surrounding me to place the Met in a difficult position or to distract from the remarkable work of the Costume Institute," Galliano said Monday, referencing the museum's department dedicated to fashion. "I also recognise and respect that an exhibition honouring my work would be painful for some," he said. Galliano referenced the rehabilitation that followed his conviction, noting his "deepest gratitude to all those who have guided, supported and accompanied me throughout these fifteen years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction". One of the key critics of the planned show was New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who issued a statement Monday saying she’d met many times with the museum to voice opposition to an exhibit honoring Galliano. “From the beginning, I have told them that I strongly disagreed with this decision, and at this rising time of anti-Semitism, it had served as a gut punch to the Jewish community,” said Menin, who noted she was the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. “This is the correct decision, as the harm and pain this was causing was simply unacceptable.” In a further complication for the museum, the gala takes place by tradition on the first Monday in May, which in 2027 falls on Holocaust Remembrance Day. There had been speculation that the museum might change the date for this reason. Wintour weighs in The Met confirmed that the "John Galliano: Horizons" show would not proceed as planned, and that a new exhibition would be announced at a later date. Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Met's Costume Institute, said he supported the decision. "I believe deeply in the responsibility of museums to examine difficult histories with rigour, candour, and care. I also recognise the pain and concern this exhibition has caused," he said in a statement. Anna Wintour, the fashion icon and ex-Vogue editor who is a trustee of the Met, expressed her "full support" for Galliano and the museum. "John's decision that the exhibition devoted to his work should not take place at this time is very courageous and a measure of the man he is," she said. After Dior, Galliano took the reins as creative director at Maison Margiela. He stepped down in 2024 after 10 years at the French label that helped repair his scandal-tainted image. In March, he signed a two-year creative contract with Spanish retailer Zara. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the nonprofit Anti-Defamation League, said on X that showcasing Galliano's work was "the wrong move at the wrong moment." "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," Greenblatt said. (FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)