After maskless images of him with Lakers legend Magic Johnson, as well as San Francisco Mayor London Breed, at SoFi Stadium for the NFC Championship game last weekend surfaced, Los Angeles Mayor — and Biden Administration ambassadorial nominee — Eric Garcetti defended his behavior today.

Johnson later tweeted a selfie of himself and a group of friends in a luxury box overlooking the field from the event. Garcetti, Breed, and California Governor Gavin Newsom were among them. Despite a municipal public health officer directive mandating attendees to wear masks at all times during so-called outdoor "mega events," except while "actively eating or drinking," none of them are wearing masks in the images. Johnson is in a high risk group for Covid, given his HIV status and age.

Garcetti said he held his breath to capture the shot during an afternoon press conference to discuss safety and security for next week's Super Bowl, which will also be held at SoFi.

“I’ll take personal responsibility,” said Garcetti in answer to a reporter’s question about the photos, “and if it makes you and everyone else happy — or even the photographs with people where literally I’m holding my breath for two seconds — I won’t even do that.”

Garcetti defended L.A.'s mask requirement, claiming that the region is still seeing high transmission rates.

On Monday, a Garcetti spokesperson told ABC7, “He was wearing a mask at the game and removed it for a brief moment to take a few photos.”

Over the last two weeks, authorities from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have reminded the public that masks must be worn at such large gatherings, even if they are held outside.

On Monday, Newsom was questioned about the photos. He stated that he simply removed his mask for the photograph.

“You’re correct,” he said when asked about going maskless at SoFi. “I was very judicious yesterday. Very judicious. You’ll see the photo that I did take, Magic was kind enough, generous enough, to ask me for a photograph and in my left hand’s the mask and I took the photo. The rest of the time I wore it as we all should, um — not when I had a glass of water — and I encourage everybody else to do so. And, uh, that’s it.”

However, there is no mask in Newsom's left hand in the photo of the two that Johnson uploaded. Of course, the image might have been inverted before being shared.

"Yes, of course," the governor said when asked if he should have reconsidered taking off his mask after the 2020 incident at the French Laundry.  I was trying to be gracious. I made a mis — I was trying to be gracious. I took the mask off for a brief second but, no, I encourage people to continue to wear them."

During the game, though, footage appeared to convey a different story. It starts with a view of a Jessica Alba without her mask before moving to a happy Magic Johnson welcoming a man who appears to be the governor from the back – identical height, trucker hat, and navy blue fleece. The dude approaches and begins to slap hands. Johnson, like the stranger who approaches him, is not wearing a mask. Since then, further photographs of Newsom at the game, both with and without a mask, have surfaced.