The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) has addressed the controversy at the BAFTA Film Awards on February 22, where Tourette’s syndrome campaigner and subject of ‘I Swear’ John Davidson made a series of involuntary offensive comments during the ceremony.
Among the remarks was the N-word, which Davidson shouted while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for Best Visual Effects to ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’.
In a statement released on February 23, BAFTA said it took “full responsibility” for placing its guests in a difficult situation and offered an unreserved apology to Jordan, Lindo and all those affected. The academy also praised the actors for their “incredible dignity and professionalism”.
During the ceremony, host Alan Cumming paused twice to address the audience, thanking them for their understanding of Davidson’s condition and apologising should anyone have been offended. Some criticised these remarks as insufficient, including Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler, who described them on social media as “throwaway”.
Davidson left the auditorium halfway through the ceremony, but the controversy escalated when the BBC broadcast the racial slur in its tape-delayed coverage. The broadcaster later apologised and removed the programme from its iPlayer streaming service.
In its full statement, BAFTA acknowledged the impact of the offensive language and explained that Davidson’s verbal outbursts were caused by his Tourette’s syndrome and were not intentional. The academy said it had taken measures to inform the audience about the presence of involuntary tics prior to the event.
BAFTA added that it was grateful to Davidson for leaving the auditorium, demonstrating “dignity and consideration of others” on a night intended to celebrate his achievements.
The statement concluded, “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.”
