Paris Olympics Apologizes for Opening Ceremony Offence

Olympic Games organizers have apologized for scenes in Friday’s opening ceremony that caused offence, particularly a banquet sequence featuring drag artists. Christian groups criticized the scene, feeling it parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper,” which depicts a key biblical moment.

The Catholic Church in France and other critics condemned the ceremony for “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” In response, U.S. telecommunications company C Spire announced it would pull its advertising around the Olympics, expressing shock at the depiction.

Thomas Jolly, the ceremony’s artistic director, clarified that the scene was intended to reference pagan gods and was not meant to disrespect any religious group. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” said Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps, adding, “If people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry.”

Jolly emphasized that the aim was to create a unifying celebration. “You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone,” he told French broadcaster BFM. “I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity.”