Tourette’s activist John Davidson said he has reached out to the studio behind “Sinners” to apologize to the film’s stars, Michael B. Jordan and Delray Lindo, after his involuntary tics at the British Academy Film Awards prompted widespread outrage.
Davidson is the inspiration for the BAFTA-nominated “I Swear,” which he also worked on as an executive producer. The film follows his journey after he was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 25, and the title is a nod to his uncontrollable swearing — a symptom of the syndrome.
During Sunday’s awards show, one of Davidson’s tics included a racial slur that he yelled while Jordan and Lindo were onstage. The actors, who are Black, appeared to pause for a beat after a racial slur was yelled before they continued their presentation of the first award of the night at the London show.
“I want people to know and understand that my tics have absolutely nothing to do with what I think, feel or believe. It’s an involuntary neurological misfire,” Davidson told Variety in an interview published Tuesday. “My tics are not an intention, not a choice and not a reflection of my values.”
The incident has sparked widespread outrage from the film community, A-list stars and others online.
BAFTA and the BBC did not cut the slur and the swearing from the initial broadcast, even though the show aired with a two-hour delay. Both issued apologies, and the BBC said it removed the language from the version of the show that is available on BBC iPlayer on Monday.
On Tuesday, Google also apologized after a computer-generated news alert about the BAFTA Film Awards included the racial slur.
“We’re deeply sorry for this mistake,” a spokesperson said. “We’ve removed the offensive notification and are working to prevent this from happening again.”
Some online — including other Tourette’s advocates — have called for sympathy for Davidson, citing the inability of people with Tourette’s to control their vocalizations.
“Tourette’s can feel spiteful and searches out the most upsetting tic for me personally and for those around me,” Davidson told Variety. “What you hear me shouting is literally the last thing in the world I believe; it is the opposite of what I believe. The most offensive word that I ticked at the ceremony, for example, is a word I would never use and would completely condemn if I did not have Tourette’s.”
Others have argued that the incident should not be minimized or excused and have called out BAFTA and the BBC for how they handled the broadcast.
BAFTA jury member Jonte Richardson announced his resignation from the organization Monday, calling its handling of the incident “utterly unforgivable.”
“I cannot and will not contribute my time, energy and expertise to an organisation that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community,” Richardson wrote on LinkedIn.
He said that “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.”
Richardson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In his post, he asked BAFTA leaders to “comprehend the damage they and the BBC have caused and take the necessary steps to ensure their production staff are inclusive enough to prevent such an issue in the future.”
Jordan and Lindo have not issued public statements about the incident. Lindo told Vanity Fair at a BAFTAs after-party that he and Jordan “did what we had to do” onstage and that he wished someone from the organization had spoken to them afterward.
In its apology, BAFTA thanked Jordan and Lindo “for their incredible dignity and professionalism” and said it takes “full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation.”
BAFTA has since reportedly launched a “comprehensive review” of the situation, according to The Hollywood Reporter, telling its members in a letter, “Please rest assured how seriously we are taking this.”
A spokesperson for BAFTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
