The BAFTA controversy has entered its third day.
Filmmaker and independent producer Jonte Richardson said on social media that he is stepping down as a BAFTA jury member over the British Academy’s handling of the racial slur shouted as Sinners duo Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for best visual effects.
Tourette’s campaigner and executive producer on the BAFTA-nominated I Swear John Davidson was introduced to the audience at Sunday’s BAFTA Film Awards ceremony, and the crowd warned over his Tourette syndrome, a condition characterized by sudden, involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds, called “tics.” Davidson — whose life inspired I Swear, for which Robert Aramayo won the best actor BAFTA — later said he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”
The BBC apologized for failing to cut the slur from the final broadcast, aired on a two-hour delay on the British broadcaster. BAFTA has also taken some heat for its bungling of the situation, and apologized “unreservedly” to Jordan and Lindo while defending Davidson’s right to be at the ceremony.
On Tuesday afternoon, The Hollywood Reporter received confirmation that executives at Sinners studio Warner Bros. raised immediate concerns with BAFTA about the tic, and asked the slur to be removed from the BBC broadcast. It is understood the studio was given assurances that this message would be passed on to the BBC and producer Penny Lane TV swiftly. A meeting between BAFTA and Warner Bros. executives took place on Monday.
THR looked at how the night unfolded in detail here, and later spoke to those with Tourette’s Syndrome to weigh in on the significance of the moment.
In a statement on Facebook Monday night, jury member Richardson said that the “handling of the unfortunate Tourettes’ N-word incident” was “utterly unforgivable.”
“I cannot and will not contribute my time, energy and expertise to an organization that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community,” said Richardson. “This is particularly unfortunate given that this year’s cohort boasts some incredible Black talent, especially one of my favorite shows of 2025, Just Act Normal.”
“However, when an organisation like BAFTA, with its own long history of systemic racism, refuses to acknowledge the harm inflicted on both the black and disabled communities and offer an appropriate apology, remaining involved would be tantamount to condoning its behaviour.”
He added that he hopes BAFTA leadership “comprehend the damage they and the BBC have caused, and take the necessary steps to ensure their production staff is inclusive enough to prevent such an issue in the future.”
Host Alan Cumming interrupted his monologues several times across the Sunday show to remind viewers: “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.”
As part of their full statement on the matter, BAFTA said: “We take the duty of care to all our guests very seriously and start from a position of inclusion. We took measures to make those in attendance aware of the tics, announcing to the audience before the ceremony began, and throughout, that John was in the room and that they may hear strong language, involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony.”
“We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism,” said BAFTA, who added that Davidson chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen. “We would like to thank [Davidson] for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.”
The British Academy added that it takes “full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation.” The apology in full can be found here.
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