Olympic Organizers Apologize For Drag Version Of ‘The Last Supper’ During Opening Ceremony After Being Condemned For ‘Insulting’ Christians

Organizers of the Paris Olympics issued an apology Sunday following criticism of a segment in the opening ceremony that some viewed as mocking Christianity’s Last Supper.

The controversial scene, featuring drag performers and dancers, drew a sharp rebuke from Catholic leaders and conservative politicians who saw it as a disrespectful portrayal of Jesus’ final meal with his disciples before his crucifixion.

“There was clearly never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said at a news conference. “If people have taken any offense, we’re, of course, really sorry.”

The French Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned the performance, stating it “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” In the United States, House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “shocking and insulting” mockery of Christian beliefs.

The backlash led one U.S. company, telecommunications firm C Spire, to withdraw its advertising from the Summer Games.

Thomas Jolly, director of the opening ceremony, denied that Leonardo da Vinci’s famous “Last Supper” painting inspired the scene. In an interview with French news channel BFMTV, Jolly explained the segment was meant to depict a “big pagan party” centered around Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry.

“You will never find in me, or in my work, any desire of mocking anyone,” Jolly stated.

The official Olympics social media account described the scene as an “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus,” intended to highlight “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

Despite the controversy, many viewers praised the overall opening ceremony for its creativity and spectacle. Some observers have pointed out that the contentious scene bears a stronger resemblance to other artworks, such as “The Feast of the Gods” by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Brueghel, rather than da Vinci’s “Last Supper.”

Teams representing the competing countries arrived on boats on the River Seine. The U.S. was represented by flag bearers LeBron James and Coco Gauff.