Porsche has come under fire for allegedly editing out a famous statue of Jesus Christ in a new promotional video commemorating the 60th anniversary of its iconic 911 model.
In the two-minute original ad, a red Porsche 911 speeds past the Cristo Rei, but it shows only the statue’s pedestal and not the actual figure of Christ.
The original ad, which was shot in Portugal, is no longer viewable on YouTube after the German automaker made it private.
After receiving backlash, the above original ad is no longer available on YouTube, and a new video has since replaced the original ad, showing the Cristo Rei (Christ the King) statue about 44 seconds into the clip.
Meanwhile, Porsche has issued an apology to news outlets, calling the removal of the giant statue in its original advertisement “a mistake.”
A Porsche spokeswoman told the Daily Mail “In a previously uploaded version of the 911 S/T launch film, a landmark was removed. This was a mistake, and we apologize for any offense caused. The original film is online now.”
Porsche said in a statement to Fox Business that they “fully understand the hurt this has caused” and that the advertisement that did not include the Cristo Rei statue has been removed.
The removal of the monument, which was completed in the 1950s as a symbol of Portugal’s gratitude for escaping the horrors of World War II, sparked outrage online, with some calling the company “woke” and urging people to boycott the automaker.