BAFTAs host Alan Cumming says everyone was “let down” after a racial slur was shouted at presenters Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan during the Feb. 22 ceremony in London.
The incident occurred at the British Academy Film Awards, where Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson yelled expletives — including the slur — as Lindo and Jordan took the stage to present best visual effects. The actors briefly paused before continuing.
In an Instagram post, Cumming apologized to Black viewers and to the Tourette community, calling the night a “trauma triggering s—show.” He said the only possible good to come from the moment is a reminder that “words matter” and that trauma should be recognized and honored.
“We were all let down by decisions made to both broadcast slurs and censor free speech,” he added.
Davidson, executive producer of the documentary “I Swear,” has coprolalia, a form of Tourette syndrome involving involuntary offensive language. He later said his tics are unpredictable and not reflective of his beliefs. “My tics are not an intention, not a choice and not a reflection of my values,” he said, describing them as an “involuntary neurological misfire.”
BAFTA said it had informed guests about Davidson’s condition and apologized to Lindo and Jordan, pledging to learn from the incident and keep inclusion at the core of its work.
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