At the UK’s BAFTA Film Awards, a moment intended to celebrate cinema spiralled into a heated debate about race, disability and awareness after Tourette’s syndrome campaigner John Davidson involuntarily shouted a racial slur while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting on stage. The incident was captured in the BBC’s delayed broadcast and later pulled from streaming after widespread shock.
The backlash intensified when American actor Jamie Foxx weighed in on social media, flatly rejecting explanations that Davidson’s neurological condition was to blame. Under an Instagram video of the clip, Foxx wrote, “Nah he meant that s—.” He added: “Out of all the words you could’ve said Tourette’s makes you say that? … Unacceptable.”
Foxx’s blunt comments stirred fierce criticism from disability rights advocates, who argue his reaction misunderstood or dismissed coprolalia, a rare Tourette’s symptom that can cause involuntary utterances of offensive words. Some called his remarks ableist, emphasizing Davidson’s lifelong advocacy to educate the public about the disorder.
During the ceremony, host Alan Cumming had previously addressed the audience, explaining: “Tourette syndrome is a disability, and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary… the person who has Tourette’s syndrome has no control over their language.” The BBC also apologized for failing to censor the slur before broadcast.
Davidson later expressed that he was “deeply mortified” if anyone interpreted his tics as intentional and left the event early to minimise further distress. The episode has ignited broader discussions about how award shows handle both disability and respect in live and televised events.
