A Tourette’s syndrome activist shouted the N-word at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo during the BAFTAs: Breaking down the controversy

Audible gasps filled the Royal Festival Hall in London on Sunday when a Tourette’s syndrome (TS) activist shouted a racial slur at presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo during the BAFTA Film Awards.

Host Alan Cumming asked the audience for “understanding” regarding the offensive language from John Davidson, the subject of I Swear, a BAFTA-nominated film inspired by his life with TS and involuntary vocal outbursts.

The BBC, which broadcast the ceremony, is under fire for failing to edit the slur from the telecast — and has since issued an apology. Jamie Foxx is among those who have called the handling of the incident “unacceptable.”

What happened?

The audience was warned before the ceremony that tics or involuntary vocalizations from Davidson could occur, according to CNN. When the Sinners costars came onstage to present the first award for best visual effects, Davidson shouted the N-word. The pair appeared startled but continued as gasps rippled through the crowd.

Addressing the moment, Cumming told the audience, “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience.”

Despite a tape delay that would have allowed producers to mute the audio before broadcast, the slur was not removed from the telecast. Davidson was also heard using profanity at other points during the ceremony.

The incident unfolded during what was otherwise a milestone evening for Sinners. The film made BAFTA history, becoming the most decorated movie by a Black director, Ryan Coogler. Jordan was nominated for leading actor.

Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler said on social media that she had also had a racial slur directed at her at the BAFTAs on Sunday and criticized what she described as a “throwaway” apology.

Who is John Davidson?

Scottish-born Davidson has spent decades raising awareness about TS, a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive movements and involuntary vocal tics, which can include repeated blinking or the uttering of unexpected or offensive words.

At age 16, he was the subject of the BBC TV documentary John’s Not Mad (1989), which followed his experience with the condition. The film drew widespread attention and led to subsequent BBC follow-ups over the years. Davidson later became an advocate and ambassador for awareness of Tourette’s syndrome and was named a member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, by the British monarch for his efforts.

I Swear, a biopic of his life directed by Kirk Jones, stars Robert Aramayo as Davidson. It was nominated for Outstanding British Film, and Aramayo won the BAFTA for leading actor.

On the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, Davidson acknowledged concerns about his tics in a high-pressure environment. He told CNN, “Certain things — like today, lots of people around, I’m feeling very, you know, more tics in case I lash out. Different situations can trigger different emotions and tics and stuff.”

Outbursts were not heard during the second half of the ceremony after Davidson left the auditorium. Variety reported that he was not asked to leave by BAFTA but chose to step out on his own. He watched the show in a separate room, Vanity Fair reported.

The backlash

The ceremony aired on a two-hour delay on BBC One in the U.K. and on E! in the U.S. and yet the slur remained in the broadcast. Deadline noted that other remarks were censored, including the BBC cutting Akinola Davies Jr.’s “free Palestine” comment at the end of his speech.

The BBC issued a statement to the Associated Press on Monday, saying, “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional.”

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts referred the AP to host Cumming’s onstage remarks when asked for comment by the same outlet.

The AP noted that on Monday morning, the offensive word could still be heard on the BBC’s iPlayer streaming service. It was subsequently removed.

Speaking to Vanity Fair at the Warner Bros. afterparty, Lindo said he and Jordan “did what we had to do” while presenting, but added that he wished “someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterward.”

Criticism over the handling of the incident has continued. Jamie Foxx described the use of the slur as “unacceptable” in the comments section of an Instagram post about the moment. Wendell Pierce called it “infuriating” that Jordan and Lindo did not receive full apologies.

There have been calls for direct apologies to the actors.

Ed Palmer, vice chairman of the Tourettes Action nonprofit, also criticized how this was handled. He said on Times Radio that bleeping the slur would have been a “sensible way of managing the situation.”