A spokesperson for the 2024 Olympics in Paris apologized Sunday for a segment during Friday’s Opening Ceremony that offended many people and religious groups.
One element of the Opening Ceremony included a scene that appeared to mock Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting of “The Last Supper.” The Last Supper depicts Jesus having his final meal prior to his crucifixion the next day.
The Olympics’ version of the scene included drag queens, a transgender model and a naked singer who was made up to resemble the Greek god of wine Dionysus.
I'm not even Christian and this is so unbelievably offensive to me pic.twitter.com/fAjNmk1yUQ
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) July 26, 2024
On Sunday, Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized for the scene that offended many people and drew ire from Catholic and Christian groups.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. (The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are really sorry,” she said.
One company said it was pulling advertising from the Olympics in response to the scene.
The woman who appeared in the middle of the scene, Barbara Butch, bills herself on Instagram as an activist. She had written on her Instagram story that it was “The New Gay Testament,” though it’s unclear if she was joking with that post. She also shared several times on her Instagram story that the scene was meant to resemble a pagan feast.
There are people on social media trying to change the narrative, and say that this was not a mockery of the Last Supper. Here you have Barbara Butch, the lady in the middle, calling this “The New Gay Testament”. pic.twitter.com/5UIDhiD0jI
— Raising Voices (@RaiseYrVoiceKy) July 28, 2024
