Bafta awards controversy

[Anonymous]

I smell bs. A man with Tourette’s yells out the n word. Of all the words in existence that Tourette’s suffers can blurt. He says the n word, at BAFTAS. Puleeezz. And then to top it all off he never apologizes

Sounds like he meant it. Sounds like he’s using his “diagnosis” as an excuse to be an openly racist jerk.

It’s like a South Park episode

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I smell bs. A man with Tourette’s yells out the n word. Of all the words in existence that Tourette’s suffers can blurt. He says the n word, at BAFTAS. Puleeezz. And then to top it all off he never apologizes

Sounds like he meant it. Sounds like he’s using his “diagnosis” as an excuse to be an openly racist jerk.

It’s like a South Park episode

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I smell bs. A man with Tourette’s yells out the n word. Of all the words in existence that Tourette’s suffers can blurt. He says the n word, at BAFTAS. Puleeezz. And then to top it all off he never apologizes

Sounds like he meant it. Sounds like he’s using his “diagnosis” as an excuse to be an openly racist jerk.

It’s like a South Park episode

It sounds like that's exactly what happens. The brain imagines the worst thing you can say in a moment and then you involuntarily say it. This is the same guy who said "F& the Queen" when he met her. My son had a mild form of Tourettes when he was young that he outgrew but it was a throat clearing grunt then later hard blinking of his eyes over and over. Thankfully it was nothing like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so awful.

Michael B Jordan ‘repulsed’ by Baftas racial slur while his parents were left in tears

https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/24/michael-b-jordan-repulsed-baftas-racial-slur-parents-left-tears-27081632/

Awful. I feel bad for EVERYONE involved.

Why do you feel bad for everyone. The guy with the tic doesn't seem to think it is a big enough deal to actually apologize. The article explaining how hurt the presenter and his family feel explains:

‘Michael’s community in Newark was part of the Great Migration, which literally happened because Black people were being terrorised in the South. Seeing Michael and Delroy being called that word up there really hurt their loved ones, and so everyone is trying their best to support each other.
‘He postponed some plans in London to spend time with his parents as he recovers.’

This was deeply traumatizing for the presenters and their families and people watching but the guy with Tourette's doesn't understand words can deeply hurt. It seems like he consciously or unconsciously enjoys the publicity. He realizes he gets more press maybe to promote his movie which I hope no one watches since he fails to understand words DO in fact carry meaning.

[i]The day after the awards, Davidson issued an apology saying he was ‘deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.’[/i]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Say there is a massive terror attack and there is a memorial service at Westminster abbey. There will be prayers and a moment of silence for the victims. Should John Davidson be there given he might scream out obscenities during the moment of silence?

Can people really not understand that these people exist? I have encountered this a few times in my life. It's unnerving the first time you hear it because you weren't expecting it but then you roll with it.

of course I know they exist. My question is if they should be there. It’s kind of like why babies are usually not allowed at black tie weddings .

Babies cry, people make noises. Babies are banned from black tie weddings because they are late in the evening. But we don't ban babies from church services because there are periods of silence.

Babies are banned from weddings all the time because they are disruptive, and screaming babies in church are usually removed to the side room by their parents

Babies aren't "banned" they just aren't invited. But no, you can't ban babies from public life.

Exactly. And I would never argue this man needs to be banned from public life. However, one could argue that this was a formal, televised event that he shouldn’t have been invited to. (I actually think he should have been invited and he should have declined since he alone knew the extent of what might happen at that event)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I smell bs. A man with Tourette’s yells out the n word. Of all the words in existence that Tourette’s suffers can blurt. He says the n word, at BAFTAS. Puleeezz. And then to top it all off he never apologizes

Sounds like he meant it. Sounds like he’s using his “diagnosis” as an excuse to be an openly racist jerk.

It’s like a South Park episode

It sounds like that's exactly what happens. The brain imagines the worst thing you can say in a moment and then you involuntarily say it. This is the same guy who said "F& the Queen" when he met her. My son had a mild form of Tourettes when he was young that he outgrew but it was a throat clearing grunt then later hard blinking of his eyes over and over. Thankfully it was nothing like this.

Throat clearing is one thing.

Thinking, then placing the tongue up to the roof of the mouth, pushing air through vocal cords, then moving the tongue to the back of the mouth, and to move the tongue mid mouth while contorting it, is another.

It is more complex than a simple tick or urge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This kind of is an example about how liberalism seems to focus on victimhood and who is the bigger victim and victims can do no wrong. What he shouted was deeply offensive . He didn’t really apologize . If I had a disorder that made me make sudden motions and I hurt someone I would apologize if I so even though I didn’t intend to. They still got hurt

What if you were warned that it might happen first? The reaction seems to be "well, you were warned." That's what's happening here.

The only people that were warned about his potential outbursts were the ones sitting in his general vicinity. Which makes it even worse because MJB and Delroy thought it was just some random man in the audience hurling a racial slur at them!

No. The attendees were warned.

Attendees were not warned.

“ Prior to the start of the ceremony, floor managers warned guests and attendees sitting around Davidson of his condition, without specifying what kinds of outbursts they might hear. According to multiple sources, none of the nominees or attendees were contacted by BAFTA or BBC ahead of the show with any such warnings.”

https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/bafta-aired-n-word-michael-b-jordan-delroy-lindo-owed-apology-1236669999/

Ahead of time... but they were warned that night. Given that, I'd much rather be one of them than Davidson who has to go through life with this condition.

What are you not understanding? If they were warned prior to the show then what was the need to inform individuals sitting next to Davidson?

You are creating your own version of what you want to believe happened.

You can't just make up your own facts that nobody knew and there was no warning. This is perfectly clear. The larger issue isn't about John's presence it's the response by BBC and BAFTA that has angered people. People here seem to be making it all about the apology or lack of one.

"Before the ceremony began the floor manager also introduced Davidson to the audience, saying: “I’d like to welcome John Davidson MBE from one of our nominated films ‘I Swear’. John has Tourette’s Syndrome so please be aware you might hear some involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony.”

https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/alan-cumming-john-davidson-i-swear-outbursts-1236669691/

Yeah….. that’s not enough of a heads up. They needed to have been waaaaay more specific. Most people know about Tourette’s. Most people don’t know about this specific form of it. Which is why the movie is important and this man is brave to talk about it! But it’s not cool to tell an audience at a major awards ceremony they might “hear some involuntary noises” when what they mean is “you might hear someone involuntarily shouting obscenities at you as you give a speech”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I smell bs. A man with Tourette’s yells out the n word. Of all the words in existence that Tourette’s suffers can blurt. He says the n word, at BAFTAS. Puleeezz. And then to top it all off he never apologizes

Sounds like he meant it. Sounds like he’s using his “diagnosis” as an excuse to be an openly racist jerk.

It’s like a South Park episode

It sounds like that's exactly what happens. The brain imagines the worst thing you can say in a moment and then you involuntarily say it. This is the same guy who said "F& the Queen" when he met her. My son had a mild form of Tourettes when he was young that he outgrew but it was a throat clearing grunt then later hard blinking of his eyes over and over. Thankfully it was nothing like this.

Throat clearing is one thing.

Thinking, then placing the tongue up to the roof of the mouth, pushing air through vocal cords, then moving the tongue to the back of the mouth, and to move the tongue mid mouth while contorting it, is another.

It is more complex than a simple tick or urge.

While you may disagree that this is real, it is nonetheless a diagnosed disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This kind of is an example about how liberalism seems to focus on victimhood and who is the bigger victim and victims can do no wrong. What he shouted was deeply offensive . He didn’t really apologize . If I had a disorder that made me make sudden motions and I hurt someone I would apologize if I so even though I didn’t intend to. They still got hurt

What if you were warned that it might happen first? The reaction seems to be "well, you were warned." That's what's happening here.

The only people that were warned about his potential outbursts were the ones sitting in his general vicinity. Which makes it even worse because MJB and Delroy thought it was just some random man in the audience hurling a racial slur at them!

No. The attendees were warned.

Attendees were not warned.

“ Prior to the start of the ceremony, floor managers warned guests and attendees sitting around Davidson of his condition, without specifying what kinds of outbursts they might hear. According to multiple sources, none of the nominees or attendees were contacted by BAFTA or BBC ahead of the show with any such warnings.”

https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/bafta-aired-n-word-michael-b-jordan-delroy-lindo-owed-apology-1236669999/

Ahead of time... but they were warned that night. Given that, I'd much rather be one of them than Davidson who has to go through life with this condition.

What are you not understanding? If they were warned prior to the show then what was the need to inform individuals sitting next to Davidson?

You are creating your own version of what you want to believe happened.

You can't just make up your own facts that nobody knew and there was no warning. This is perfectly clear. The larger issue isn't about John's presence it's the response by BBC and BAFTA that has angered people. People here seem to be making it all about the apology or lack of one.

"Before the ceremony began the floor manager also introduced Davidson to the audience, saying: “I’d like to welcome John Davidson MBE from one of our nominated films ‘I Swear’. John has Tourette’s Syndrome so please be aware you might hear some involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony.”

https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/alan-cumming-john-davidson-i-swear-outbursts-1236669691/

Yeah….. that’s not enough of a heads up. They needed to have been waaaaay more specific. Most people know about Tourette’s. Most people don’t know about this specific form of it. Which is why the movie is important and this man is brave to talk about it! But it’s not cool to tell an audience at a major awards ceremony they might “hear some involuntary noises” when what they mean is “you might hear someone involuntarily shouting obscenities at you as you give a speech”.

The shouting began right away. If they didn't know by then they had already heard a few outbursts before the racial slur. At that point Davidson did see himself out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I smell bs. A man with Tourette’s yells out the n word. Of all the words in existence that Tourette’s suffers can blurt. He says the n word, at BAFTAS. Puleeezz. And then to top it all off he never apologizes

Sounds like he meant it. Sounds like he’s using his “diagnosis” as an excuse to be an openly racist jerk.

It’s like a South Park episode

It sounds like that's exactly what happens. The brain imagines the worst thing you can say in a moment and then you involuntarily say it. This is the same guy who said "F& the Queen" when he met her. My son had a mild form of Tourettes when he was young that he outgrew but it was a throat clearing grunt then later hard blinking of his eyes over and over. Thankfully it was nothing like this.

Throat clearing is one thing.

Thinking, then placing the tongue up to the roof of the mouth, pushing air through vocal cords, then moving the tongue to the back of the mouth, and to move the tongue mid mouth while contorting it, is another.

It is more complex than a simple tick or urge.

While you may disagree that this is real, it is nonetheless a diagnosed disability.

I am a different poster and I agree with you that it’s totally involuntary, what he is saying, due to his Tourette’s. However , the audience was not given nearly enough of a warning (“some involuntary noises”???) as to what types of involuntary things he tended to shout. And you know the common saying, your right to swing your fist ends at my nose? (Or whatever the exact words are). To me this is the same. He cannot control his disability and I truly feel very bad for him. HOWEVER, it is deeply upsetting to be loudly called something so offensive as the N word as you’re on stage in front of a televised international audience. He could have muffled his voice during the speeches. He could have stepped out for every speech. He could have excused himself earlier. And most importantly, BAFTA could have given a legitimate heads up that was more specific and informative, and then they could have not televised the outburst!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven't you seen the videos of people post anesthesia who say offensive things? Are people really triggered and offended by those vidoes and expect apologies? Usually the people in them are laughing and not taking it personally as they understand what the person coming out of anesthesia is saying is not under their control. But most people on here seem to think those people are extremely offensive and should be apologizing for their comments and that being under sanesthetic does not give them a right to say anything inappropriate and they need to be held responsible.

I think people are used to being able to reflexively demand other people apologize. They are frustrated that it doesn't seem to work in this case.

Well, there are other options. Apologies are designed to indicate to people who you’ve hurt in some way that your intention was not to hurt them. Most sincere apologies are met with forgiveness. Without an apology, the consequences for many behaviors are likely to be very different. So, are those of you who don’t believe that apologies are necessary advocating for the kinds of consequences that saying offensive things to people you don’t know will often provoke? If so, you probably don’t have Davidson’s long term best interests at heart.

There are people of all ages and races with coprolalia and I think the view that they owe an apology to anyone who is offended by any of their tics puts a massive burden on them. Many people tic very frequently and continuously being asked to come up with an apology for any offense each tic may have caused or offense taken by those who don't understand may not even be practically feasible.

OK, but surely we can distinguish between ticcing while out to lunch or ticcing while running errands and ticcing , in an otherwise silent large auditorium, while someone is making their televised acceptance speech for a major award. I agree that they don't need to be a constant walking apology, but some situations are different from some others.

Also, I think it's actually kind of dangerous to try to run with the idea that someone with coprolalia doesn't need to feel they owe an apology to anyone, because people need to learn what their disability is and they need to remember to be inclusive. Because people can't even learn what something as common as autism is a good chunk of the time. If someone with coprolalia is taught that it's completely ok to go out in public and not apologize for having tics when they occur, they're going to get harassed, assaulted, or even shot. I'm not saying that is ok, but if someone with this gets onto a bus and sits down and starts with a loud vocal tic of "N WORD, N WORD N WORD" while looking at a bus full of Black people, they can't honestly expect that everyone's just going to take it in stride and continue to peacefully ride the bus together. It's dangerous to set that expectation.

Most people - John included, work extremely hard to not tic (take medication, do therapies) and to be as inoffensive as possible but it isn't a controllable condition and John apologizes all the time. He also chews on a leather thing that he keeps in his mouth that he can bite down on and muffle sound with. But he can't apologize for intentionally directing racist slurs at people to disrupt their day as that just isn't genuine. Sometimes a string of offensive things come out - the condition is about saying offensive things. There is really no way he can be repsonsible for everyone's feelings who are in hearing distance of him. He hates what he says and does - he isn't getting joy from it or from upsetting people. He doesn't want to do it.

There are lots of previous clips about him. He has so many people in his life who talk about what a great guy he is, and I sure it is hard for all of them to see him being spoken about as a man who intentionally yelled racist slurs at two men, ruined their night, and refuses to apologize for it. Especially given this was supposed to be a big night for him with the movie that he worked so hard on coming out. So many people are only reading headlines or seeing short clips and think he is just a horrible human without going any deeper.

Your comments here are making this even worse PP. If “John apologizes all the time” for the impacts that his behavior might have on others, then it really stands out that he hasn’t apologized in what has become an international incident. As if that weren’t problematic enough, you suggest that such an apology would not be “genuine “. If this is true, then who is he apologizing to when he does so? What behaviors — in his mind or yours — warrant “genuine “ apologies? If not the n-word — with centuries of painful history behind it, then when? If not at a televised awards ceremony, then when?

[Anonymous]

The guy did apologize. He said he was mortified that it happened. He cannot control it. Are you all suggesting that he not have the same freedom of movement as the rest of us and be segregated somehow? You are unintentionally showing your bigotry with this ignorance. Do you see that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I smell bs. A man with Tourette’s yells out the n word. Of all the words in existence that Tourette’s suffers can blurt. He says the n word, at BAFTAS. Puleeezz. And then to top it all off he never apologizes

Sounds like he meant it. Sounds like he’s using his “diagnosis” as an excuse to be an openly racist jerk.

It’s like a South Park episode

It sounds like that's exactly what happens. The brain imagines the worst thing you can say in a moment and then you involuntarily say it. This is the same guy who said "F& the Queen" when he met her. My son had a mild form of Tourettes when he was young that he outgrew but it was a throat clearing grunt then later hard blinking of his eyes over and over. Thankfully it was nothing like this.

Throat clearing is one thing.

Thinking, then placing the tongue up to the roof of the mouth, pushing air through vocal cords, then moving the tongue to the back of the mouth, and to move the tongue mid mouth while contorting it, is another.

It is more complex than a simple tick or urge.

While you may disagree that this is real, it is nonetheless a diagnosed disability.

I am a different poster and I agree with you that it’s totally involuntary, what he is saying, due to his Tourette’s. However , the audience was not given nearly enough of a warning (“some involuntary noises”???) as to what types of involuntary things he tended to shout. And you know the common saying, your right to swing your fist ends at my nose? (Or whatever the exact words are). To me this is the same. He cannot control his disability and I truly feel very bad for him. HOWEVER, it is deeply upsetting to be loudly called something so offensive as the N word as you’re on stage in front of a televised international audience. He could have muffled his voice during the speeches. He could have stepped out for every speech. He could have excused himself earlier. And most importantly, BAFTA could have given a legitimate heads up that was more specific and informative, and then they could have not televised the outburst!!!

Did literally nobody in the audience watch the movie? Isn't that sort of required to be able to vote on winners? Are you saying nobody in the audience had any familiarity with the nominated movie or subject matter?

[Anonymous]

If anyone deserves an apology, it’s John, for not receiving the sympathy and empathy he deserves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If anyone deserves an apology, it’s John, for not receiving the sympathy and empathy he deserves.

+1. The man is there to celebrate a movie that brings attention to the condition he suffers from, which is an inability to control what he’s saying. And now he’s expected to apologize?! How about everyone apologize to him for not understanding his condition??