At Sunday night’s BAFTA Awards, John Davidson—the real-life inspiration for the famous British film I swear—he shouted the N word to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while the sinners The stars presented the award for the best visual effects. The outburst followed an opening monologue by the host. Alan Cumming during which Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, involuntarily ticked. The audience had been informed about Davidson’s condition before the show began, but it was only after he said the racial slur that Cumming openly addressed the topic.
“You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This may be part of how Tourette syndrome manifests in some people as the film explores that experience,” Cumming explained from the stage. “Thank you for your understanding and for helping to create a respectful space for everyone.” After the incident, Davidson appeared to leave the theater, according to Variety.
At the party after the Warner Bros. ceremony, Lindo said vanity fair that he and Jordan “did what we had to do” during the presentation, but that he also wanted “someone from BAFTA to talk to us afterwards.”
Although the BAFTAs were broadcast on tape delay, the insult was included in the broadcast, although the BBC did not broadcast the winner of the notable British debut. Akinola Davies Jr. saying “Free Palestine” at the end of his speech, according to Deadline. (The BBC said Deadline that “all edits were made to ensure the program was delivered on time”). sinners production designer Hannah Beachler wrote in
A BBC spokesperson said The times, “Some viewers may have heard strong, offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome and, as explained during the ceremony, was unintentional. We apologize that this was not edited prior to broadcast and will now be removed.”
Despite everything, Lindo was in good spirits at the after-party. We saw him chatting with his co-star. Wunmi Mosaku, who won the BAFTA for best supporting actress. His sinners Her co-star Jordan attended an after-party hosted by Brits. GQ and Fashion, albeit briefly, as he was listed as one of the hosts of the event.
After the ceremony, BAFTA hosted a dinner for the nominees and guests, where everyone talked about the incident. On the one hand, Davidson’s disability is the inspiration for I swear; the star of the movie, Roberto Aramayo, won the BAFTA Rising Star Award on Sunday, as well as the Leading Actor Award over Favorites Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. But even if BAFTA guests could understand why he shouted that insult, they were still disturbed by his outburst. Jordan was visibly shocked when Davidson shouted from the auditorium as audience members gasped. Although guests were sensitive to everyone involved, the incident was definitely the talk of the night.