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The organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympics have issued an apology for an opening ceremony tableau that featured DJ Barbara Butch and drag queens, which many say resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

What’s the deal: During the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, a scene featuring DJ Barbara Butch and drag artists drew criticism for its resemblance to Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Critics, including the French Catholic Church, argued it mocked Christianity. Artistic director Thomas Jolly clarified that his intention was not to “mock or to shock,” but rather to “send a message of love, a message of inclusion, and not to divide.”

What the Olympics is saying: Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamp said, “Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think (with) Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance. Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are, of course, really, really sorry.”

Backlash: The backlash over the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony came from various global and religious leaders. House Speaker Mike Johnson described the scene as “shocking and insulting to Christians” worldwide, criticizing it as a “mockery of the Last Supper” and a symbol of the ongoing “war on our faith and traditional values.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also condemned the tableau, calling it “a mockery of a sacred story for Christians” and expressing outrage over the depiction of the Apostles as transvestites.

In addition to public statements, internet provider C Spire announced it would be pulling all of its advertising from the Olympics, stating they were “shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies.”