‘God Will Not Be Mocked’—John Cooper, Andy Stanley, and Candace Cameron Bure Outraged Over ‘Blasphemous’ Olympic Opening Ceremony

The Drag Queen performance highlighted during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, which depicted Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” has resulted in backlash from Christians, including notable pastors and Christian influencers. 

Although the performance’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, has claimed his inspiration for the segment was not “The Last Supper,” producers of the ceremonies said otherwise.

A statement obtained by TheWrap said, “For the ‘Festivities’ segment, Thomas Jolly took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting. Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect towards any religious group or belief.”

The producers continued by saying that Jolly is not the “first artist to make a reference to what is a world-famous work of art. From Andy Warhol to ‘The Simpsons,’ many have done it before him.”

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Another spokesperson apologized for any offense the performance caused. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The Opening Ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” said Anne Descamps during a press conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”

Jolly said the segment was an “interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus [that] makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

“The idea was to create a big pagan party in link with the god of Mount Olympus, and you will never find in me, or in my work, any desire of mocking anyone,” Jolly added.

Regardless, critics have compared side-by-side images of the segment, and it bears a striking resemblance to da Vinci’s painting.

The performance displayed people in drag, dancing and singing on a long table-like runway. One performer, who was painted all blue, dressed as the main meal.

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Following the performance, Leslie Barbara Butch, a French DJ and lesbian activist who was the center of segment, posted an image of the performance next to an image of “The Last Supper” on Instagram and said, “Oh Yes! Oh Yes! The New Gay Testament.”