Paris Olympics organizers say sorry for offense, but insist opening ceremony did not depict "The Last Supper"
Culture,LGBTQ Issues,Christianity,Last Supper,International Olympic Committee,Paris Olympics
The organizers behind the Paris Olympics apologized to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" during Friday's opening ceremony and provoked outrage by religious conservatives around the world. The organizers, however, defended the concept behind it.
Da Vinci's painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him. The scene during Friday's ceremony on the Debilly Bridge featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch — an LGBTQ+ icon who calls herself a "love activist." Butch was wearing a silver headdress that looked like a halo as she got the party going on a footbridge across the Seine. Drag artists, dancers and others flanked Butch on both sides.
Related Coverage
AllSides Picks
Headline Roundup
Dua Lipa Opens 'Banned' Book Library in Portugal, Draws Conservative Criticisms
July 16th, 2026
Opinion
Politicians *Occasionally* Acknowledge Their Flaws, But At What Cost?
Malayna J. Bizier
July 8th, 2026