John Davidson, the Tourette syndrome activist whose involuntary outbursts during the BAFTA Film Awards included a racial slur, has stated that the awards body assured him any offensive language would be edited from the broadcast. The revelation comes as the BBC and BAFTA face mounting criticism for failing to remove the slur before the ceremony aired.
Davidson, who was attending the awards as the subject of the biopic I Swear, involuntarily shouted the N-word while presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage. He subsequently left the auditorium, distressed by the incident. According to an interview with Variety, Davidson was informed by StudioCanal, working with BAFTA, that “any swearing would be edited out of the broadcast.”
“I have made four documentaries with the BBC in the past, and feel that they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette’s and worked harder to prevent anything that I said – which, after all, was some 40 rows back from the stage – from being included in the broadcast,” Davidson said. He also questioned the placement of a microphone near his seat, suggesting it may have contributed to the incident.
The BBC broadcast the ceremony with a two-hour delay, and the slur remained audible for fifteen hours before being removed from the iPlayer streaming service, prompting widespread condemnation. BAFTA has announced a “comprehensive review” into the events surrounding the incident. Warner Bros, the studio behind Sinners, also alerted BAFTA to their concerns during the ceremony, requesting the slur’s removal, but claims their request was not acted upon.
Davidson expressed “a wave of shame” over the incident, explaining the involuntary nature of his tics. “Those who have seen I Swear will understand this. My tics have said and done things over the years that have caused huge pain and upset… Tourette’s can make my body or voice do things I don’t imply, and sometimes those tics land on the worst possible words. I want to be really clear that the intent behind them is zero.” He emphasized that the N-word was only one of approximately ten offensive words he involuntarily vocalized during the evening.
He cited an example of how a joke made by host Alan Cumming triggered a tic resulting in him shouting “paedophile.” Cumming had referenced Paddington Bear, saying, “Maybe you would like to come home with me, Paddington. It wouldn’t be the first time I have taken a hairy Peruvian bear home with me.” Davidson explained this prompted a homophobic tic and the subsequent shout, likely triggered by the association of Paddington Bear with children.
Davidson has reportedly contacted Warner Bros to personally apologize to Jordan, Lindo, and production designer Hannah Beachler, who also reported hearing an N-word directed at her. Jonte Richardson, a BAFTA judge, has resigned in protest, calling the organization’s handling of the situation “utterly unforgivable.”
