Philippe Virgiti, Galliano's Accuser: 'I Don't Think He Is Racist'

Philippe Virgiti, one of John Galliano's accusers, spoke to Le Parisien on Thursday about the initial incident at the Parisian bar on February 24 and the subsequent lawsuit.

Identified only as Philippe, he says that the argument started after Galliano told the woman he was with, "Your voice is irritating, you're talking too loud."

An excerpt from the interview as translated by HuffPost:

Do you confirm that he made anti-Semitic remarks?

Yes. But, today, I am convinced that he didn't believe what he was saying. I don't think he is racist or anti-Semitic. Since the incident, I've learned about his work. I've seen that he put different cultures into his designs. I think that, more importantly, he is very sick and that, above all, he was provoked.

But, in the meantime, you've maintained your complaint?

Yes. I cannot do otherwise. The legal machine started and John Galliano filed a complaint against us. But all of this has truly traumatized us. During the week, we were panicked. We said, "The people are going to destroy us, they're going to burn us." Now it's passed. I didn't even know it was John Galliano. It was only the day after [the argument] that I realized it, when I opened my computer. There was such an outburst of media around this story. For me, it was a simple bar fight. John Galliano did not deserve this. I don't want him to be destroyed like that.

Paris' High Court is expected to set Galliano's court date on May 12, WWD writes.

Comments

[Evan Benz]

08:20 AM on 03/16/2011

After reading Philippe Virgiti statements, and the comments people have written in response.
Out of the corner of my eye . . . I see a story about Sheyla Hershey and how she has 38KKK boobs.

So while John Galliano's in rehab learning why barley, hops, and grain are BAD. And while all the people stuck in World War 2, reenact the storming of the beaches at Nomandy.

I will be drinking a beer and staring at some girls giant tits. oh la la !!!!

[Vatican Assassin Warlock]

02:18 AM on 03/14/2011

He's sophisticated, he's suave, he's urbane, he's genocidal. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... The Loneliest Man On Earth: The Gay Nazi!

[Vatican Assassin Warlock]

02:14 AM on 03/14/2011

What else did you guys expect from gay Nazi Eurotrash?

[jaslyn]

08:35 PM on 03/14/2011

harsh. Way to kick someone when they're down.

[Vatican Assassin Warlock]

11:03 PM on 03/14/2011

Just askin.'

[ena]

04:29 PM on 03/13/2011

I love this part: "An excerpt from the interview as translated by HuffPost:" That's hysterical as HP editors can't get english headings or basic english grammar correct & we are supposed to believe that they can do a proper french translation.

lmao!!!!! bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-ha

[Osapient1]

03:09 AM on 03/13/2011

Oh geez... I thought the photo was Keith Olbermann and his Zoolander "Blue Steel" look....

[mmgbizgirl]

11:29 AM on 03/12/2011

$$$

[Barbara Lilly]

08:50 AM on 03/12/2011

I think it takes a lot of guts for Mr. Virgiti to learn about Galliana instead of just making a judgement based on that horrible encounter. It says a lot about the person Mr. Vigiti is. Now if only Galliano would learn from him and do some major introspection himself.

[PaticaDeGato]

05:49 AM on 03/12/2011

Amusingly, the French are willing to punish an outburst of drunken, *itchy anti-Semitism when it was the German humiliation at Versailles that led to the rise of Hitler and the horrors of WW2. The French might want to get over their anachronistically arrogant selves.

[SubgeniusMustHaveSlack]

09:22 AM on 03/12/2011

So you are contending the French created naz iism?

It seems you need to get over your xenophobic self.

[PaticaDeGato]

03:52 PM on 03/12/2011

Their arrogance played a critical role in the development of extremism in Germany, extremism which degenerated into Nazism.

[Absolute]

05:32 AM on 03/12/2011

No, he's not anti-semitic, he just resorts to horrible anti-semitic comments when he's "provoked" by the sound of a voice that he finds irritating. What drivel.

[Republicrat1776]

01:33 AM on 03/12/2011

Galliano would have been the first one in the oven

[Absolute]

05:34 AM on 03/12/2011

He surely would have been.

[one tequila two tequila]

01:36 AM on 03/12/2011

the same question could be asked about you!?

[aardvark13]

01:37 AM on 03/12/2011

Strait? Where did you go to school?

[Brian Gorrell]

12:48 AM on 03/12/2011

JG is brilliant and should not have been fired.
He was drunk and they were also being cruel to him.
If we were all taped for 24 hours, I bet you many of us would say something that would get us in trouble too!
I can't believe how many sanctimonious ignorant people are trashing him for his looks.
Galliano is a design genius who lives his crazy for all to see.
I hate what he said too, but I've said worse in fits of anger.

[one tequila two tequila]

01:29 AM on 03/12/2011

Well said, bravo...! how many people speak of obama using the 'N' word?

[hidenout3]

08:06 AM on 03/12/2011

A lot of black people do, which has always confused me.

[LastWave]

06:26 AM on 03/12/2011

i think your using the word brilliant loosely. but other then that, i agree.

[BJHenton]

12:03 AM on 03/12/2011

If he's not a bigot, why didn't he say something different. He chose those words on purpose. He didn't call her a "pushy bitch" or a "pain in the ass" he called her a Jew who deserved to die in a furnace. Stop making excuses for this drunk.

[Richcrafter]

11:08 PM on 03/11/2011

As a fashionista... I would not know JG!
; )

[UncleJimbo]

10:06 PM on 03/11/2011

He looks like the Illigitimate Son of Salvador Dali and Bret Michaels........