Barbara Butch / Instagram
CV NEWS FEED // Barbara Butch, the drag performer who played the role of “Christ” in the Olympic Last Supper parody has announced a series of lawsuits against alleged online harassers.
In a statement posted to Barbara Butch’s Instagram on July 29, the drag performer’s attorney Audrey Msellati stated that “since the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, artist, DJ, and activist Barabara Butch has been the target of an extremely violent campaign of harassment and defamation.”
“She has been threatenbed with death, torture, and rape, and has also been the target of numerous anti-Semetic, homophobic, sexist and grossophobic insults,” the statment added.
Mselleti insisted upon her client’s personal values and intentions in performing, stating that “inclusivity and love for others have always been at the heart of her artistic project: promoting festivities for all, regardless of age, sexual orientation, origin, religion, or gender.”
The attorney further noted that her client is filing several complaints against the alleged harassers, “and intends to prosecute anyone who tries to intimidate her in the future.”
“All my life, I’ve refused to be a victim,” Butch stated in the post’s caption: “I won’t shut up. I’m not afraid of those who hide behind a screen, or a pseudonym, to spew their hatred and frustrations. I will fight them without ever trembling. I’m committed, and I’m proud.”
The Olympic drag show has gained wide criticism from Catholics and conservative Christians around the world who believe the performance intentionally mocked the Last Supper.
The show’s organizer Thomas Jolly has denied the allegation, stating that his intention was to portray “A big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus.”
However, Barabara Butch posted an image of the performance in a since-deleted story on Instagram, with the caption “OH YES! OH YES! THE NEW GAY TESTAMENT!”
For its part, the Olympic Committee issued a statement claiming that “there was never any intention to show disrespect towards any religious group or belief.”
The statement also added that the Committee said “if anyone was offended by certain scenes, this was completely unintentional and they were sorry.”
