Delroy Lindo has broken his silence on the racial slur that was shouted at him and Michael B. Jordan while they were presenting an award at the 2026 BAFTAs.
During the awards ceremony on Sunday, February 22, attendee and Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson shouted the n-word while Lindo, 73, and Jordan, 39, presented the award for best visual effects to Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Lindo told Vanity Fair after the awards show that he and Jordan “did what [they] had to do” and continued presenting after the outburst, which could be heard throughout the Royal Festival Hall in London. However, Lindo added that he wished “someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterward.”
A spokesperson for BBC, which aired the BAFTAs on Sunday, told The Times, “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.”
Davidson, 54, serves as the inspiration for the BAFTA-winning biological film I Swear, which explores Tourette syndrome. This neurodevelopmental disorder, often referred to as Tourette’s, may “cause sudden unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Davidson reportedly vocalized other verbal tics throughout the night, including moments where he shouted “shut the f*** up” and “f*** you” at those who were on stage.
According to a report from Variety, Davidson’s outbursts were not heard during the second half of the ceremony, “when Davidson appeared to have left the room … of his own accord and was not asked to leave by BAFTA.”
Host Alan Cumming addressed Davidson’s tics twice at the event.
“You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience,” Cumming, 61, told the crowd. “Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”
Later, Cumming added, “Tourette’s syndrome is a disability, and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight.”
Hannah Beachler, the Oscar-nominated production designer on Sinners, opened up via X about another outburst that was directed at her during the BAFTAs.
“I understand and deeply know why this is an impossible situation,” Beachler, 55, wrote. “I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through. But what made the situation worse was the throw away apology of ‘if you were offended’ at the end of the show.”
Beachler continued, “I am not steal (sic), this did not bounce off of me, but I exist above it.”
Davidson, who was awarded an honor by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his work raising awareness of Tourette’s in 2018, opened up about his condition to BBC News last year.
“Tourette’s is such an awful condition that most of the time I don’t want to be the center of attention,” he said. “I want to be able to walk down the street and not be noticed because I’m shouting or swearing.”
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