French DJ and activist Barbara Butch has received death threats after participating in a controversial Olympics Opening Ceremony scene.
“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,” Butch’s lawyer Audrey Msellati claimed in a statement via Instagram on Monday, July 29. “She has been threatened with death, torture and rape and has also been the target of numerous anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and anti-grossophobic insults.”
According to Msellati, Butch, 43, is planning to file several complaints and “intends to prosecute anyone who tries to intimidate her in the future.”
“Barbara Butch condemns this vile hatred directed at her, what she represents and what she stands for,” the statement continued. “Indeed, her commitments and personal values of benevolence, 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.”
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While celebrating the kickoff to the Olympic Games on Friday, July 26, some viewers were offended by a tableau that seemingly evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
In the scene, Butch wore a silver headdress as drag artists and dancers surrounded her. According to event organizers, there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group.
“We really did try to celebrate community tolerance,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said during an International Olympic Committee news conference on Sunday, July 28. “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.”
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Thomas Jolly, who served as the artistic director of the Opening Ceremony, echoed that sentiment when he explained that the scene depicted Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.
“My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock,” Jolly told the Associated Press on Sunday. “Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”
As celebrities continue to speak out and share differing views on the ceremony, Butch still feels “extremely honored” to have the opportunity to take part in the Olympics as a top artist.
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“Through my DJ work and my activism, I’ve always promoted love and inclusivity — for me, this is what will save the world, even when it’s falling apart,” she wrote via Instagram on Monday. “Today, however, I’m the target of yet another — particularly violent — cyber-harassment.”
While Butch tried to stay silent in hopes that the criticism would “cool down,” the DJ claimed that the critical messages have only increased. Even with the negative noise around her, the activist promised fans that she would stay committed to her work.
“I’ve never been ashamed of who I am, and I take responsibility for everything — including my artistic choices,” Butch said. “All my life, I’ve refused to be a victim: I won’t shut up. …. I’m committed and I’m proud. Proud of who I am, of what I am, and of what I embody, both for my loved ones and for millions of French people. My France is France ! 
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