Galliano sacked by Christian Dior

Fashion house Christian Dior has fired designer John Galliano after an online video emerged that showed him praising Hitler.

The company said today that Galliano has been immediately laid off and the process of firing him had begun.

Last week Dior suspended Galliano as its creative director pending an investigation into an alleged anti-Semitic incident at a Paris cafe.

A spokesperson for Dior said: "Today, because of the particularly odious nature of the behaviour and words of John Galliano in a video made public this Monday, the Christian Dior house has decided to lay him off immediately and has begun firing procedures against him."

Sidney Toledano, Dior's president and chief executive officer, said in a statement today: "I condemn most firmly the statements made by John Galliano which are in total contradiction to the essential values that have always been defended by the House of Christian Dior."

The house confirmed the behaviour exhibited by Galliano in the video released yesterday, in which he told a group of Jewish people they should be dead and pronounced his love for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, was the final straw resulting in his dismissal.

The news of Galliano's sacking comes hours after Natalie Portman disassociated herself from the designer because of his recent actions.

The Jewish actress - who is the face of Christian Dior's Miss Dior Cherie fragrance - said: "I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano's comments that surfaced today.

"In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr

Galliano in any way. I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful."

As well as the video, Galliano is accused of making racist remarks to Geraldine Bloch - including calling her a "dirty Jew face" - during a drunken episode in Paris last Thursday as well threatening her friend Philippe Virgitti.

Despite the controversy, a spokesperson for Galliano's eponymous label has confirmed the show will go ahead this Sunday at Paris Fashion Week.