Paris Olympics 2024: death threats against ceremony organisers spark probe

Mr Jolly has said that he was not inspired by the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting showing Jesus Christ and his apostles.

Instead, he said the sequence, titled Festivity, was inspired by Greek mythology and intended to be a celebration of diversity, adding his intention was not to “be subversive, nor to mock or to shock”.

French prosecutors opened the investigation after Mr Jolly, who is openly gay, complained of death threats and cyberbullying.

Some emails received by Mr Jolly and the head of a production company quoted a verse from the Quran, stating that “Allah’s punishment will befall the organisers in Saint-Denis” (one of the Olympic sites), Le Parisien newspaper reports.

Prosecutors are also investigating insults directed at drag queen Nicky Doll, who also featured in the controversial scene.

DJ Barbara Butch told France Inter radio on Sunday that she had received messages “inviting me to burn in hell in every language and swastikas”.

On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “outraged” by the cyberbullying directed at Jolly, adding that “nothing justifies threatening an artist”.

“The French were very proud of this ceremony,” he said. “France showed appropriate boldness with artistic freedom.”