‘A slur would be deliberate’: the Baftas outburst and Tourette syndrome

While the use of the N-word may not have been intentional, some with the condition agree that doesn’t make it acceptable

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t was an incident that sparked a furore: during Sunday’s Bafta ceremony Tourette syndrome (TS) activist John Davidson made several outbursts, including shouting the N-word as actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan were presenting a prize on stage.

Among others to comment on the incident were actors including Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Wendell Pierce, who starred alongside Jordan in The Wire.

Writing below a post about the incident on Instagram, Foxx said Davidson’s use of the N-word was “Unacceptable”, adding: “Nah he meant that shit”, while Pierce wrote on the platform X: “It’s infuriating that the first reaction wasn’t complete and full throatted [sic] apologies to Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan. The insult to them takes priority. It doesn’t matter the reasoning for the racist slur.”