Tourette’s activist John Davidson breaks silence after shouting racial slur at BAFTAs
John Davidson, a well-known advocate for Tourette’s awareness, has addressed the racial slur he involuntarily shouted during Sunday night’s BAFTA ceremony.
Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that affects about 1.4 million people in the U.S., according to the CDC. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes it as “a neurological disorder that may cause sudden unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics.”
“The motor (involving body movement) or vocal (involving sounds you make) tics of TS come and go over time, varying in type, frequency, location, and severity. If you have tics, you cannot stop your body from having them. The first symptoms usually occur between the ages of 5 and 10 years, generally in the head and neck area. These may progress to include the muscles in your torso, arms, and legs. Motor tics generally occur before the development of vocal tics.”
N-Word yelled at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo at BAFTAs
John Davidson is a prominent advocate for the disorder. During the BAFTA ceremony, when the first award of the evening, Best Special Visual Effects, was presented by Sinners actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, Davidson experienced a tic and shouted the N-word from the audience.
The moment was captured in the BBC broadcast. In a statement shared with Variety, Davidson expressed gratitude for the support he received:
“I wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast. I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs. I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me,” he said, according to Tyla.
He continued, “In addition to the announcement by Alan Cumming, the BBC and BAFTA, I can only add that I am, and always have been, deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”
John Davidson chose to leave early
Davidson was attending the awards alongside the cast and crew of I Swear, a biographical drama based on his own life. He highlighted the importance of I Swear in raising awareness, saying the film “more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome.”
He added: “I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness, and understanding from others, and I will continue to do so. I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.”
The BBC also released a statement addressing the outburst caused by Davidson’s vocal tic:
“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.”
Alan Cumming, hosting the BAFTAs, addressed the audience directly:
“You may have heard some strong and offensive language tonight. If you have seen the film I Swear, you will know that the film is about the experience of a person with Tourette Syndrome. Tourette syndrome is a disability, and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you were offended.”
