Johnny Weir says 'religion isn't an excuse for hate' in response to criticism of his look for the Olympics closing ceremony

• Johnny Weir responded to criticism of his look for the Olympics closing ceremony on Sunday.

• Weir shut down disapproval of the look on Twitter, saying he "embraces the strength" of his parents.

• "Also, religion isn't an excuse for hate," the two-time Olympian went on to say.

• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Johnny Weir took to Twitter to respond to criticism of his one-of-a-kind look for the Olympics closing ceremony, which he cohosted with Tara Lipinski.

The figure skater, who competed at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics, is known for his daring fashion and beauty looks, particularly at the Olympic Games.

His ensemble for the closing ceremony was no exception, as Weir wore a white Frolov jacket, Lapointe pants, and AGL shoes, as he shared on Instagram. The standout feature of his look was his hair, styled by Mariola Zysk.

He wore a headpiece in the shape of the Olympic rings on the side of his head, as his social-media photos show.

Many complimented Weir's ensemble, but others took to social media to criticize his look, including Jenna Ellis, a former senior legal advisor to President Donald Trump, as is listed on her Twitter bio.

On Sunday, Ellis tweeted a screenshot of Weir's hairstyle and said it was "utterly embarrassing."

In an additional tweet, she wrote: "Bring back the days when boys cared about growing up to be actual men. Biblical masculinity over woke fragility."

Weir responded to Ellis' comments on Twitter on Sunday night.

"The man I've grown into is a human that embraces the strength of the man & woman who raised me to be myself," Weir wrote.

"If you feel squashed by the boot of someone else's beliefs, remember you are free to live your life the way YOU believe," he went on to say.

"Also, religion isn't an excuse for hate," he added. Weir did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Ellis responded to the tweet by quoting the bible.

"Far from being hate, it's actually genuine love to speak truth, not relativism and embracing every form of casual perversion under the banner of 'being myself.' Rom 1; Eph 4:17-22," Ellis wrote. "Eventually, Johnny, you'll have to answer to God for your choices & belief."

In a statement to Insider, Ellis said: "Weir openly and purposefully tries to push the LGBTQ agenda and mainstream desensitization to perversion through his effeminate outfits and persona."

She added: "Olympics viewership has and should continue to decline when woke leftism is pushed so blatantly from NBC, Weir, and others instead of upholding standards of moral virtue, good sportsmanship, and patriotism."

Although ratings for the Tokyo Olympics were down from 2016, as the LA Times reported, the Summer Games are still one of the most-watched TV programs of 2021. According to the LA Times, the coronavirus pandemic, the move to streaming, and the lack of a live audience are all factors that could have led to the drop in ratings - not "woke leftism."

The LA Times also noted that the sporting event created a boom for NBC's streaming site Peacock.

As Insider previously reported, 182 openly gay athletes competed at the Tokyo Olympics, and they were the first games to host transgender athletes. However, as gold medalist Tom Daley noted to The Telegraph, it is still a crime to be openly gay in many countries that competed in the Olympics, highlighting the discrimination LGBTQ athletes still face.

Read the original article on Insider