John Davidson, a Scottish activist with Tourette’s syndrome and inspiration for the film 'I Swear,' explained his involuntary tics in an exclusive interview following the 79th BAFTA Awards. During the ceremony, his outbursts, including the N-word, disrupted proceedings as Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented an award. BAFTA has launched a review and issued apologies amid backlash.
At the 79th BAFTA Awards on February 24, 2026, John Davidson's vocal tics, a symptom of his Tourette’s syndrome, became audible during the event. As stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo from the film 'Sinners' presented the first award, Davidson involuntarily shouted the N-word and approximately 10 other offensive words, including homophobic slurs triggered by earlier comments. Davidson, an executive producer on 'I Swear'—a film based on his life that received six nominations—attended despite a recent heart operation five weeks prior.
In an exclusive email interview with Variety, Davidson described coprolalia, the involuntary use of obscene language affecting 10% to 30% of people with Tourette’s, as a neurological misfire unrelated to his beliefs. 'My tics have absolutely nothing to do with what I think, feel or believe,' he said. He recounted the shame he felt: 'I felt a wave of shame and embarrassment hit me all at once. You want the floor to swallow you up.' Triggered by echolalia, his tics included shouting 'Boring' during the BAFTA chair's speech and 'pedophile' after a joke involving Paddington Bear.
Davidson expected precautions from BAFTA and the BBC, noting assurances that swearing would be edited from the broadcast. However, the incident aired on the time-delayed BBC telecast, despite Warner Bros. executives immediately requesting its removal. BAFTA took 'full responsibility' and apologized unreservedly to Jordan and Lindo for the 'very difficult situation,' praising their 'incredible dignity and professionalism.'
The fallout prompted BAFTA to launch a comprehensive review of its film awards, as stated in a letter to members from Chair Sara Putt and CEO Jane Millichip. They acknowledged the harm caused and committed to learning from the incident. Jonte Richardson, a Black writer and producer on BAFTA's emerging talent jury, resigned, calling the handling 'utterly unforgivable' and citing the organization's history of failing to safeguard Black and disabled communities.
Davidson has reached out to apologize directly to Jordan, Lindo, and production designer Hannah Beachler. He emphasized preferring the term 'condition' over 'disability' and highlighted ongoing misconceptions, such as assumptions that tics reflect inner thoughts. Google also apologized for a news alert that inadvertently included the N-word due to a filter error.
