Update: Women's Wear Daily reports that Galliano has been suspended at Christian Dior, writing, "In a brief statement, Dior president and chief executive officer Sidney Toledano said the fashion house has a policy of zero tolerance regarding racism and anti-Semitism. The statement said the suspension would remain in force until the results of a police investigation."
Previously: Designer John Galliano, who helms Christian Dior's house, was briefly arrested in Paris on Thursday night for alleged assault and making anti-Semitic remarks, the AFP reports.
The incident occurred at a cafe in the Marais district where Galliano started yelling at a couple. A police source told the AFP, "For the moment we don't know what led him to address the couple. We don't yet know if they knew each other or not."
Another police source told the Telegraph, "Witnesses said [Galliano] swore heavily, using anti-Jewish insults, before attacking a couple. Both have provided witness statements, as have a number of other people at the bar, including staff."
However, a different source recounted another story to Vogue UK: "We had a table at La Perle and John Galliano sat next to us. He spoke to a couple at a nearby table to say 'Cheers' and they insulted him. An argument started and the police came, so Galliano's bodyguard suggested that they should go to the police station to sort it out. He wasn't 'busted' aggressively by police, it was very quiet and peaceful. I definitely didn't hear him say anything anti-Semitic, or against any religion, it was all very calm."
Galliano was then taken back to the police station for a sobriety test and was determined to be slightly over the legal limit. According to Reuters, police accompanied him home and filed no charges, and, "One policeman said the outburst was prompted by stress ahead of fashion week, which starts next Monday and at which Dior's show is always in the spotlight."
Galliano was also in the spotlight this week after being announced as Kate Moss' wedding dressmaker.