The performer painted blue who sang during the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony, Philippe Katerine, has apologised to those offended by his appearance.
According to him, there was no intention to disrespect or denigrate any religion or individual with his performance, despite how some members of the public perceived it.
He called on Christians to exercise the virtue of forgiveness and pardon his actions, emphasising that he was raised as a Christian and would never intentionally tarnish their image.
During an interview with CNN, when asked about the blasphemy accusations, Katerine responded, “I was singing my song called ‘Nu,’ which means naked. It is a song that talks about war.
"I am deeply sorry if it shocked some people because that was not the intention at all. I was brought up as a Christian. What is beautiful in Christianity is forgiveness,” he said.
The controversy began after a sequence featuring drag artists, which some Christian groups felt parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper.’
Katerine, painted blue and appearing half-naked while lying on a table surrounded by women, was accused of being gay and committing blasphemy.
The Catholic Church in France condemned the ceremony for including “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.”
Some netizens also condemned the act, leading the organisers of the games to apologise to the public.
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