BAFTA, BBC apologise to Michael B Jordan, Delroy Lindo after guest with Tourette Syndrome shouts racial slur: ‘The individual has no control’

BBC, which didn’t edit out the word initially, also shared an apology. Its spokesperson said: “We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”

BAFTAs statement read:

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.

One of our guests, John Davidson MBE, has Tourette Syndrome and has devoted his life to educating and campaigning for better understanding of this condition. Tourette Syndrome causes involuntary verbal tics, that the individual has no control over. Such tics are in no way a reflection of an individual’s beliefs and are not intentional. John Davidson is an executive producer of the BAFTA nominated film, I Swear, which is based on his life experience.

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.

Early in the ceremony a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people in the room. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologise unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism.

During the ceremony, John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, and we would like to thank him for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.

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.

BBC issues apology

Along with BAFTA, the BBC also issued an apology to the actors. The broadcaster did not beep out the racial slur during the live transmission, and it remained on BBC iPlayer until Monday. The channel released a statement apologising, saying, “We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”

ALSO READ | Stars descend on the BAFTA film awards, with One Battle After Another and Sinners leading the race

What did John Davidson say?

John Davidson also addressed the incident in a conversation with the BBC and admitted that the outburst was unintentional. He said, “Deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning”, adding, “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.”

How did Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo react?

While Michael B. Jordan has not commented publicly on the incident, Delroy Lindo expressed his discontent while speaking to Vanity Fair at the after-party. He said, “We did what we had to do”.