Paris Olympics Apologize For Controversial Opening Ceremony Scene

Organizers of the Paris Olympics have issued an apology following backlash over a scene in the lavish opening ceremony on Friday that some critics likened to a parody of “The Last Supper.”

The scene, which included drag artists and dancers, drew significant criticism from the Catholic Church and various Christian groups. The French Catholic Church condemned the performance, stating it "included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity."

“There was clearly never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps clarified at a news conference on Sunday. “On the contrary, we aimed to celebrate community and tolerance. We believe we achieved this ambition, but if anyone took offense, we are truly sorry.”

Despite the controversy, the opening ceremony also received praise from some quarters, with certain viewers suggesting the scene was more reminiscent of other artworks, such as “The Feast of the Gods” by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Brueghel.

Thomas Jolly, the director of the opening ceremony, emphasized in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV on Sunday that “The Last Supper,” the famous mural by Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, was not the inspiration for the scene. “Dionysus arrives at the table because he is the Greek God of celebration, and that sequence is called ‘festivity,’” Jolly explained. “The God of wine, which is also a French jewel and father of Sequana, the Goddess linked to the River Seine. The idea was to create a big pagan party linked with the God of Mount Olympus, and there is no intention of mocking anyone.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the official Olympics account stated that the “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”