Sympathy for the devil? John Galliano’s anti-Semitic remarks came from his mouth, not his brain, says attorney

It isn’t the Conrad Black case, or even the O.J. Simpson saga, but for fashion folks across the world, attention was focused on France as designer John Galliano stood on trial to defend his anti-Semitic comments, a rant that swept the Internet months ago. Time magazine reports that Galliano claimed his actions were the fault of a “triple addiction” of alcohol, sleeping pills and Valium—a lethal combination, to be sure, but it seems more like a last-ditch effort to gain sympathy for his addiction (and, well, maybe bounce back from losing his job at Dior). Should Galliano be found guilty of public hate speech—which is punishable under French law—he could serve up to six months in prison and incur $32,000 in fines, but the biggest price he’s had to pay so far is a near-worldwide loss of respect. Earning that back requires at least a quadruple addiction.

• John Galliano on Trial: ‘Triple Addiction’ Led to Anti-Semitic Remarks [Time]