Jamie Foxx is among those who have called the handling of the incident \u201cunacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
What happened?<\/p>\n
The audience was warned before the ceremony that tics or involuntary vocalizations from Davidson could occur, according to CNN<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n Addressing the moment, Cumming told<\/a> the audience, \u201cYou may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette\u2019s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Later in the ceremony, Cumming made another statement, saying, \u201cTourette\u2019s syndrome is a disability and the tics you\u2019ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette\u2019s syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite a tape delay that would have allowed producers to mute the audio before broadcast, the slur was not removed from the telecast.<\/p>\n Davidson was also heard using profanity at other points during the ceremony, including during remarks made by BAFTA chair Sara Putt and when the directors of Arco, winner for best children\u2019s and family film, accepted their award. Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler said<\/a> 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 \u201cthrowaway\u201d apology.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, Ryan Coogler. Jordan was nominated<\/a> for leading actor.<\/p>\n Speaking to Vanity Fair<\/a> at the Warner Bros. afterparty, Lindo said he and Jordan \u201cdid what we had to do\u201d while presenting, but added that he wished \u201csomeone from BAFTA spoke to us afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n Who is John Davidson?<\/p>\n Scottish-born Davidson issued a statement on Monday as the backlash grew.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast,\u201d Davidson said<\/a>. \u201cI appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs. I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me.\u201d<\/p>\n John Davidson attends the BAFTA Film Awards on Feb. 22.<\/p>\n (Samir Hussein\/WireImage via Getty Images)<\/p>\n He said he was \u201cdeeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning \u2026 I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette\u2019s community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n At age 16, he was the subject of the BBC TV documentary John\u2019s 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\u2019s syndrome and was named a member of the Order of the British Empire, or MBE, by the British monarch for his efforts.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n On the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, Davidson acknowledged concerns about his tics in a high-pressure environment. He told CNN, \u201cCertain things \u2014 like today, lots of people around, I\u2019m feeling very, you know, more tics in case I lash out. Different situations can trigger different emotions and tics and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Davidson said in his statement that he left the auditorium \u201cearly into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.\u201d He watched the show in a separate room but returned later to see Aramayo accept his award.<\/p>\n The backlash<\/p>\n 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<\/a> noted that other remarks were censored, including the BBC cutting Akinola Davies Jr.\u2019s \u201cfree Palestine\u201d comment at the end of his speech.<\/p>\n The BBC initially issued a statement to the Associated Press<\/a> on Monday, saying, \u201cSome 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement added, “We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”<\/p>\n BAFTA released a statement<\/a> later apologizing to Jordan and Lindo, who showed \u201cincredible dignity and professionalism\u201d during the incident, as well as those in the audience and viewing from home.<\/p>\n \u201cWe take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all,\u201d the statement said. \u201cWe will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n Criticism over the handling of the incident has continued<\/a>. Jamie Foxx described the use of the slur as \u201cunacceptable<\/a>\u201d in a since-deleted comment on an Instagram post about the moment. Wendell Pierce called it \u201cinfuriating<\/a>\u201d that Jordan and Lindo did not receive full apologies.<\/p>\n Ed Palmer, vice chairman of the Tourettes Action nonprofit, also criticized how this was handled. He said on Times Radio<\/a> that bleeping the slur would have been a \u201csensible way of managing the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gettyimages-2263123223.jpg\"\/)
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