Barbara Butch, a French DJ and LGBTQ activist, is taking legal action after facing what she describes as online abuse related to her role in the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony’s controversial “Last Supper” display. The ceremony, which featured Butch portraying “Christ” in a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting, has sparked a wave of online criticism against her for her blasphemous role in the embarrassment.
Butch’s attorney, Audrey Msellati, released a statement on Instagram detailing the extent of the abuse. “Since the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, artist, DJ, and activist Barbara Butch has been the target of an extremely violent campaign of cyber-harassment and defamation,” Msellati wrote.
Msellati stated that Butch is “filing several complaints against these acts,” targeting both French nationalists and foreigners responsible for the harassment. “Barbara Butch condemns this vile hatred directed at her, what she represents, and what she stands for,” the letter continued.
The controversial display featured Butch in the center of a “Last Supper” tableau, flanked by drag queens and transgender performers. The performance has drawn criticism from various groups, including religious communities and conservative organizations.
A spokesperson for the Olympics clarified that there was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group” and emphasized the organizers’ aim to “celebrate community tolerance.” This seems unlikely, but it’s what they’re claiming.
However, the backlash has been significant. Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron criticized the apology, stating that “everyone’s tolerated” except for the “2.6 billion Christians on the planet.” Additionally, CatholicVote, a conservative political advocacy group, has criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their silence on the matter.
Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, defended the performance in an interview with France24, explaining that the idea was “to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus.”
