LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: John Davidson attends the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on February 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
John Davidson has been a hot topic online for going on 24 hours. The Tourette’s advocate sparked tense reactions after he shouted the n-word while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting during the BAFTA Awards. Despite airing hours after the show wrapped, the BBC did not edit out the racial slur. Meanwhile, they seemingly edited “Free Palestine” from a speech and other alleged tics Davidson exhibited throughout the show. As Black online spaces demand accountability across the board, Davidson is clearing the air on his intention and his controversial tic.
According to Deadline, John Davidson broke his silence on the BAFTA Awards incident on Monday. In a statement, the Tourette’s campaigner thanked BAFTA for pre-warning the audience about his syndrome and his involuntary tics. For context, coprolalia is the name for the involuntary swearing related to Tourette’s. He also thanked the audience for welcoming him into the space. Then, he clarified that he feels “deeply mortified if anyone” considers his “involuntary tics to be intentional or carry any meaning.”
“I was in attendance to celebrate the film of my life, I Swear, which, more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits, and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome,” John Davidson reportedly said in the statement. He added, “I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourettes community and to teach empathy, kindness, and understanding from others, and I will continue to do so.”
Additionally, Davidson said he left the BAFTA Awards early during the ceremony because his tics were causing “distress.” Variety previously shared that Davidson had shouted other offensive things like “shut the f*ck up” during a speech and “f*ck you” during a win announcement for a family and kids’ movie.
His statement did not offer an explicit apology. Swipe below to see what he said.
At a BAFTA Awards afterparty on Sunday, Delroy Lindo admitted that he and Michael B. Jordan did what they had to after John Davidson yelled the n-word. He told Variety that he wished someone had checked on him and MBJ after their presentation, indicating no one did.
Elsewhere, in a statement obtained by The Shade Room, BBC didn’t explain why they failed to edit out the racial slur. However, the British outlet apologized for not doing so.
“Some 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. We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”
Meanwhile, in a statement BAFTA apologized to MBJ and Delroy Lindo and to “all those impacted” by John Davidson’s tic. “We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism,” it wrote.
“We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all. We 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.”
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Amid the heated backlash on the internet, people with Tourette’s have begun sharing their experiences. Some have admitted to also having the n-word as a tic, while defending the “uncontrollable” nature of tics associated with Tourette syndrome. Others have shamed violence and ableist suggestions, and still some have pointed the finger at BBC for not going the extra mile, and airing the disheartening moment.
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