John Davidson shouting the N word during the BAFTAS

[Crawse]

John Davidson has Tourettes and is a campaigner for the condition. Whist Michale B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting he shouted out the racial slur. It’s extremely uncomfortable to watch. I feel terrible for the two presenters. I’m really conflicted on this one.

What are your thoughts?

No one should be subjected to abuse. That is my bottom line. Maybe the fact I was called P*** (I’m half Indian) growing up has influenced my views. I obviously recognise Tourette’s is involuntary.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/22/entertainment/baftas-2026-tourettes-racist-slur

Is it because he is white that there is such outrage?

Are there no black or asian people with similar Tourette’s tics?

Are people cunts for excluding children? Or are children somehow an exception?

Yes, almost certainly. Some on the far left believe that white men can’t possibly suffer any disadvantage.

I would warn everyone having first consulted the person with Tourette's to discuss the best way to do that.

No I wouldn't tell anyone they would be a cunt for leaving.

I just wouldn't be the sort of cunt who would exclude someone from my wedding, due to their neurological condition.

It is completely not what you said!
Do you understand what ‘involuntary’ actually means because from your posts it seems not.
The person is NOT choosing the word. He is not actively sitting there thinking ‘oh, I wonder what the most offensive thing I can say is??’
Read the information that people are giving you.

Just read Hannah Beachler's comments, that poor woman probably had what should have been one of the best nights of her life absolutely ruined. John might have also ruined his own night but he really should have stayed away or watched from a distance, if he knew he was likely to racially abuse people. Why are his feelings more important than hers? Before I'm accused of being ableist or whatever, most people with a disability don't abuse other people. Someone in a wheelchair isn't going to cause distress to other people (I know because dh uses one), but John knows his disability is going to cause major upset and that he's going to be in a situation where someone is on stage and he is going to humiliate them and himself, in front of millions of people. If I was him I'd definitely keep away from situations like that.

It's an interesting discussion.

Where do we draw the line when inclusivity causes harm to others?

Wasn't it John who involuntarily smacks his dog? or otherwise puts the dog at risk of harm?

Society generally prioritises dogs above humans for some reason so that'll disturb SM more than using the N word.

I see both sides here, yes he has Tourettes, I really feel for him, it must be so exhausting, however it doesn't change the fact that the word he used hurt people. I know he had no intention and he must feel the worst, but he still hurt feelings.

I'm so on the fence with this one, I see both sides.

Good gracious. Yes, I realise that they are not consciously choosing the word, but clearly their brain is choosing the words they use or they'd just shout sheer nonsense or mismatching swear words, instead of applicable insults, wouldn't they?

If you brought up a child with Tourettte's and this particular tic to believe that the most offensive thing you can say to a black person is 'duvet cover!' then that's what they'd shout, I'm sure. The 'involuntary' indicates that they can't help it, and don't want to, but clearly their subconscious brain is still operating and 'deciding' on what the most offensive phrase would be.

They are being excluded because the bride does not want to be abused on her wedding day. Who would?

Oh please don’t start this shit, Asian people absolutely DO mind being racially abused.

It haunts us for fucking years, we never forget, so just STOP IT.

Decent people would have the ability to understand that it's a disability and make allowances as such, just like decent people would ensure that if a guest had mobility issues they would be equally accomodated.

It's not hard.

Your comparison of a flying object doesn't ring true. People choose to take offence or not. I would never use a word like that but this was entirely involuntary - no malicious intent - and directly caused by someone's disability. So in this case I think you're being VU

That’s awful. He should have kept away and not approached her.

I think calling it abuse is wrong

a PP pointed out that an accidental elbow is the face isn’t abuse - but a deliberate one would be a criminal offence

john did not abuse anyone. He used words that are usually terms of abuse but it was not abuse

No he shouldn’t be excluded from life because people are eager to take offence

The BBC has now said it will edit out the slur from iplayer. Good move but a bit late

From Variety:
"The BBC has apologized for not editing out a racial slur from the BAFTA Film Awards and will remove it from the version of the broadcast on iPlayer. "Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional. We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer."

She wouldn’t be excluding them because they’re disabled, she would be excluding them because she doesn’t want to be called a ‘n”””””’ on what should be the happiest day of her life.

Only if you brought them up away from society. People don’t just get their knowledge of what’s acceptable or unacceptable in the outside world from their parents. In this case anyway that’s a poor example as John didn’t know he had Tourette’s til he was much older and there wasn’t much understanding/support for the condition.

I hate the idea that people think John should stay away from an event where film about his own life story, highlighting the difficulties of life with Tourettes, was nominated for awards. His life is good enough for entertainment, but his real life should be kept in a back room or hidden away?

He said "fuck the queen" to her face when he received his MBE. should he have stayed at home and got it in the post, rather than attend and receive recognition for the work he has done raising awareness about his disability?

Equally, the idea that people should be ok racist words being said to them by virtue of them being rich adults is ridiculous. Having racist abuse targeted at you should never be accepted or acceptable. I feel so sorry for Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo.

John's condition isnt a mask for racism. He has explained in the documentaries about him, his work and through his film, that he doesn't think these thoughts and is purely incapable of holding them in. These are the worst things he can say but he is compelled to say them.

I mean, Lewis Capaldi spoke about how holding in his physical tics was actually painful. I can imagine making any attempt to hold in physical or verbal tics results in physical pain and even worse tics.

Surely the blame for all the outrage should be on the BBC for not censoring what John said, knowing that taken out of context it is even worse for everyone involved.

But he could cause insult to anyone at any time. He could be walking past a hospital and see someone beaming at their new baby, and call them a peado, inadvertently causing them distress on the best day of their life (the day their child is born). Or be on a buss with someone who is crying because she’s had a breast cancer diagnosis and call her sh*t tits.

Hannah herself describes it really eloquently “I understand and deeply know why this is an impossible situation. I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through.”

She acknowledges that the situation is impossible. She is upset that the BBC used the phrase “if you were offended”

There's a black woman speaking on Tiktok this morning who has the same tic John Davidson used. She's doing a very good job of explaining that it's involuntary and that the taboo of it is often the (again, involuntary) driving force behind it.

A film about his life (that many more people clearly need to watch) won awards. He shouldn’t have been kept at home like some sort of leper due to a condition he can’t help.

All audience members should have been informed of his attendance, and I would then expect them to deal with it in a way that acknowledges the lack of offensive intent.

The Queen dealt with it extremely deftly when he shouted “Fuck the Queen” on receiving his MBE.

Which would be excluding them because they have a disability known as Tourette's.

So, excluding them because they are disabled.

This should be really really easy for most people to understand.

The lack of empathy on here towards the Black men who were called “n*ggers” is chilling.

‘Verbal abuse’ is CALLED ‘abuse’ for good reason.

The n-word ISN’T ever just a word. It is loaded with dehumanisation and degradation.

That word is traumatic and humiliating for Black people to hear from the mouths of white people (although I’m sure there will be plenty of replies on here from people claiming that they’re Black and they don’t mind 🙄 👀)

That’s why it’s rare to even see it printed anywhere these days, even in publications that spell ‘cunt’ and ‘fuck’ out in full.

It’s a reminder of violence and humiliation, of racial hierarchy and discrimination.

It must have been shocking and painful for Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo to be reminded that no matter how successful they are, they can still be subjected to hateful racist abuse onstage in front of their industry peers and a tv audience of millions.

It must have hurt them both like hell, especially as they had to stay on stage and keep smiling while processing what had just happened.

It blows my mind that people on here don’t seem to get that, or to care.