BAFTA has released a full apology after a man with Tourette’s shouted a racial slur at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while they presented the award for best visual effects on Sunday night.
“Our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many,” the statement began. “We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all.”
Headlines from Britain’s biggest night for film have focused on the painful moment that a Tourette’s campaigner, John Davidson, was heard shouting the N-word at Sinners twosome Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo as they took to the stage to present the BAFTA for best visual effects. The BBC has apologized for the “strong and offensive language” and for not cutting the racial slur from its final broadcast, which aired on a two-hour delay.
Following a swathe of online backlash over Davidson’s outbursts and negative press attention surrounding the neurological condition, U.K. charity Tourette’s Action issued a statement on Instagram in defence of the activist, maintaining that his statements are “not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character.” They wrote: “The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding.”
And after hours of silence through Monday, BAFTA asked THR to run their statement on the matter in full. See below.
At the BAFTA Film Awards last night, our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many. We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all.
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