Paris 2024 organizers apologized on July 28, 2024, to viewers who felt offended by a banquet scene in the Olympic opening ceremony. The apology did not amount to an admission that the performance was intended to mock Jesus or recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Artistic director Thomas Jolly said the sequence represented a pagan celebration connected with the gods of Olympus, particularly Dionysus.
The controversy began because many viewers saw a long table, a central crowned figure and drag performers as a visual parody of The Last Supper. Critics called the scene insulting to Christianity, while supporters described it as an inclusive celebration of queer visibility, diversity and artistic freedom. The dispute later escalated into death threats and cyber-harassment against people involved in the ceremony.
What happened at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony?
The Paris 2024 opening ceremony took place along the Seine on July 26, 2024. Rather than confining the event to a stadium, organizers presented a series of artistic tableaux throughout Paris, combining music, fashion, dance, history and references to French culture.
One of the most controversial sequences took the form of a theatrical banquet. It included a long table, a central figure surrounded by performers, drag artists and DJ Barbara Butch. Singer Philippe Katerine appeared nearly naked and painted blue, portraying Dionysus or a Dionysian character associated with festivity and celebration.
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The scene was part of a much larger program about community, performance and inclusion. However, photographs and short video clips circulated internationally the following day, often without the surrounding context. Many viewers immediately associated the composition with Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, the famous Christian image of Jesus dining with the apostles.
Why did critics call it a Last Supper parody?
The criticism centered on the visual arrangement rather than on a universally agreed description of the scene’s subject. The long table and central figure resembled the familiar structure of The Last Supper. The presence of drag performers and queer imagery led some viewers to conclude that the ceremony was presenting a deliberately irreverent or “drag-queen” version of the Christian painting.
Catholic representatives, conservative politicians and right-wing commentators in France and abroad argued that a sacred Christian image had been appropriated and treated mockingly. Some said the performance replaced or echoed Jesus and the apostles with figures they viewed as deliberately provocative. Italian politician Marion Maréchal described it as a drag-queen parody and argued that it represented a progressive minority rather than France as a whole.
Those reactions were shared by some U.S. culture-war commentators and other international critics. They should not, however, be generalized to all Christians, all Catholics or all conservatives. The documented response came from particular religious representatives, politicians, commentators and viewers, while others defended the artistic choice or saw no direct reference to the biblical scene.
What did Paris 2024 apologize for?
On July 28, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized to people who had felt insulted or offended. The organizers said there had been no intention to disrespect any religious group and continued to describe the ceremony as an attempt to celebrate community and tolerance.
This was an apology for the offense and backlash caused by the sequence—not a formal admission that the organizers had intended a blasphemous parody of The Last Supper. Paris 2024 did not announce that the ceremony had been withdrawn, nor did it say that the entire artistic concept had been abandoned.
That distinction is important. It is accurate to say that the Olympics organizers apologized after the performance triggered criticism. It is not supported by their public statements to say that they admitted to mocking Jesus or formally confessed that the scene was a Last Supper parody.
What did Thomas Jolly say the scene represented?
Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, rejected the claim that Leonardo’s The Last Supper was his intended source. He said the tableau was a pagan feast connected with the gods of Olympus and that Dionysus was chosen because of his association with celebration and festivity.
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The disagreement therefore involved two separate questions:
- What did viewers see? Many viewers saw a composition resembling The Last Supper.
- What did the creators say they intended? Jolly and Paris 2024 described a pagan, Dionysian celebration rather than a Christian tableau.
Both facts can be reported without treating either interpretation as settled. A visual resemblance may produce a powerful public reaction even when the artist denies that the disputed work was the source.
Was the scene inspired by The Feast of the Gods?
Some commentators and art historians pointed to another possible reference: Jan van Bijlert’s seventeenth-century painting The Feast of the Gods, which is held by the Musée Magnin in Dijon. That painting depicts a mythological banquet and is more consistent with the explanations involving Greek mythology and Dionysus.
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The comparison helps explain why the creators could describe the scene as pagan while critics continued to see The Last Supper. Banquet paintings can share broad visual features—an extended table, a group of figures and a prominent central character—without having the same religious or historical subject.
There was also confusion because early Paris 2024-related messaging was reported as saying that the scene drew inspiration from Leonardo’s painting and that the work had been parodied many times. Jolly later denied that The Last Supper was his inspiration and emphasized the pagan-feast concept.
The safest description is therefore that the tableau had overlapping visual associations. It was widely interpreted as resembling or parodying The Last Supper, while the artistic director’s stated explanation pointed to a pagan celebration and references to Greek mythology.
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How did supporters defend the performance?
Supporters saw the sequence as intentionally provocative but fundamentally celebratory. They argued that the opening ceremony was designed to represent modern France’s diversity and to give queer performers a visible place in a major international event.
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The debate also raised a broader question about how public art is interpreted. A creator’s intention is relevant, but it does not automatically cancel the associations created by composition, symbolism or cultural memory. In this case, the contrast between the intended reference and the audience’s interpretation was central to the controversy.
Was there a commercial boycott?
Telecommunications company C Spire said it would withdraw advertising around the Olympics after objecting to what it called mockery of The Last Supper. That was a notable commercial reaction, but it should not be described as proof of a broad advertiser exodus.
The available reporting supports the withdrawal of one prominent advertiser, not a general commercial boycott of the Games. Other claims about widespread business action require separate verification.
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What happened after the apology?
The controversy moved beyond cultural criticism. French authorities opened investigations into death threats, insults and cyber-harassment directed at Jolly and other people connected with the ceremony. Paris 2024 condemned the threats and harassment.
Performers including Barbara Butch and Nicky Doll were also reported to have received hostile messages and to have pursued legal action. Some reporting described alleged abuse connected with Jolly’s sexual orientation and identity-based harassment.
These developments must be described carefully. An investigation, complaint or reported arrest does not establish that every accused person committed a crime, and the available reporting does not provide a final adjudication for every case. Criticism of an artistic performance is protected in many circumstances; death threats and targeted cyber-harassment are a different matter and can trigger criminal investigations.
A clear way to understand the controversy
The dispute is best understood as a collision between visual interpretation, artistic intent and religious sensitivity:
- The image resembled a famous Christian painting to many viewers. The long banquet table and central arrangement made the comparison immediate.
- Critics interpreted the resemblance as deliberate mockery. Some Christian representatives and conservative commentators objected to what they saw as the irreverent use of a sacred image.
- The creators disputed that source. Jolly said the scene represented a pagan feast linked to Dionysus and the gods of Olympus.
- Paris 2024 apologized for causing offense while defending the ceremony’s purpose. That was not the same as admitting an intentional attack on Christianity.
- The backlash escalated into threats. Authorities investigated alleged death threats and cyber-harassment targeting participants.
The most accurate summary is not that the organizers admitted to staging a Last Supper parody. It is that Paris 2024 apologized to people offended by a banquet scene many interpreted that way, while the ceremony’s artistic director said the intended reference was a pagan celebration associated with Dionysus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the Paris Olympics opening ceremony recreate The Last Supper?
The scene was widely interpreted as resembling or parodying Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, but that interpretation was disputed. Artistic director Thomas Jolly said the intended subject was a pagan feast connected with Dionysus and the gods of Olympus.
Did the Olympics organizers admit that they mocked Jesus?
No. Paris 2024 apologized to people who felt offended and said there was no intention to disrespect any religious group. The apology addressed the reaction and offense caused by the performance, not an admission of intentional blasphemy.
Who appeared in the controversial scene?
Reports described drag performers, DJ Barbara Butch and singer Philippe Katerine, who appeared blue-painted and nearly naked while portraying Dionysus or a Dionysian character. The performers should not be confused with unrelated athletes or controversies.
Were the performers threatened after the ceremony?
Yes. French authorities investigated reported death threats, insults and cyber-harassment targeting Thomas Jolly and others connected with the ceremony. Barbara Butch and Nicky Doll were also reported to have faced hostile messages and pursued legal action. Investigations and complaints should not be treated as final findings of criminal responsibility.
The Bottom Line
Paris 2024 apologized after a banquet scene in the opening ceremony was widely interpreted as a drag-queer version of Leonardo’s The Last Supper. Critics called it offensive to Christianity, while artistic director Thomas Jolly said it depicted a pagan celebration linked to Dionysus. The apology acknowledged viewers’ offense but did not establish that the creators intended to mock Jesus. The backlash later included investigations into threats and cyber-harassment against participants.
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