Rob Schneider is boycotting the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The actor and comedian announced his decision to avoid watching this year’s Olympic Games due to the controversial drag performance during the opening ceremony, which many felt parodied the Last Supper.
“I am sorry to say to ALL the world’s GREATEST ATHLETES, I wish you ALL THE BEST, but I cannot watch an Olympics that disrespects Christianity and openly celebrates Satan,” Schneider wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. “I sincerely hope THESE @Olympics get the same amount of viewers as @cspan.”
In a follow-up tweet, Schneider shared a photo from the drag performance, writing, “Guys with their genitalia hanging out in front of children?! Drag Queens?! I wasn’t sure if I was watching the @Olympics or if I was watching a school board meeting…”
During the Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, a group of 18 performers, including three “Drag Race France” queens, posed behind a table reminiscent of the Last Supper.
At the center was a woman adorned with a large silver headdress resembling a halo, similar to depictions of Jesus. The performance also featured models in an impromptu fashion show and concluded with a dance segment, where “Drag Race France” host Nicky Doll, alongside contestants Paloma and Piche, took the stage.
The ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, stated that the performance was meant to represent Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity, to highlight “the absurdity of violence between human beings.” However, the act sparked widespread backlash from fans and celebrities who found it inappropriate and offensive.
Candace Cameron Bure, whose husband, Valeri Bure, is an Olympic medalist, called the drag performance “disgusting” in an Instagram video on Sunday. “To watch such an incredible and wonderful event that’s gonna take place over the next two weeks and see the opening ceremonies completely blaspheme and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of the Last Supper was disgusting,” Bure, 48, said. She added, “It makes me mad. But I’m more sad, because I’m sad for souls.”
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Elon Musk also criticized the performance, calling it “extremely disrespectful to Christians” on X. Jillian Michaels voiced her concerns as well, writing, “Dear fellow gays … We demand tolerance and respect but then make a mockery of something sacred for over 2 billion Christians. This type of hypocrisy and lack of understanding is a bad look.”
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, known for his traditional views, also condemned the performance. “This is crazy,” Butker wrote on his Instagram Stories, accompanied by a screenshot of the opening ceremony.
The French Catholic Church’s conference of bishops expressed their disapproval, stating, “This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore.”
In response to the backlash, the Paris Olympic organizers issued an apology. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think (with) Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance,” spokesperson Anne Descamps said during a press conference on Sunday. “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.”
Schneider’s boycott highlights the ongoing debate over the boundaries of artistic expression and respect for religious traditions in global events like the Olympics.
