Meet Barbara Butch, The DJ Behind The Controversial Last Supper Tableau At 2024 Paris Olympics

Highlights of the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony were Céline Dion’s performance and the lighting of the cauldron. However, one performance has sparked a controversy. In an image that some believed resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper depiction of Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles, drag queens and performers lined a long table during a controversial tableau. After the event, some reportedly referred to the images as “insulting to Christian people” and “mockery.” The focal point of the Last Supper tableau was French DJ and LGBTQ activist Barbara Butch.

With a halo-shaped headdress and a fitted outfit, Barbara appeared in front of her DJ gear with a large group of dancers, drag queens and entertainers around her.

In the midst of the increased attention, Barbara introduced herself on Instagram, writing, “Hi my name is Barbara Butch, I’m a Love activist, Dj and producer based in Paris. My aim is to unite people, gather humans & share love through music for all of Us to dance & make our hearts beat at unisson! Music sounds better with all of Us!”

Barbara advocates for several causes, such as acceptance of obese people and lesbian rights. As part of her attempts to advocate fat acceptance, she produced a short movie called “Extra Large.” French cultural magazine Telerama featured her in a nude photo on its cover in 2020, with the tagline, “But why do we reject fat people?” Later, the French Association of LGBTI Journalists recognised her work, and she was awarded the Out d’or 2021 (LGBTI Personality of the Year) title.

The Paris-born personality began her career as a DJ in Montpellier, where she performed in clubs. According to IBTimes, she performed under the moniker Scratcheuse de gazon before going back to using her given name. According to reports, she resumed her profession in 2008 after returning to Paris, where she worked at establishments including Rosa Bonheur and La Machine du Moulin Rouge.

In 2023, Barbara made a cameo appearance as a celebrity judge on the French tv series Drag Race France. Anne Descamps, a spokesman for Paris 2024, expressed regret for anyone hurt by the scene on Sunday. USA Today reports that Descamps said there was “never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group.”