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

Frankly it doesn't matter whether you're black, brown, a woman, a man, use a wheelchair, use a walking stick, have a bald head, have one leg shorter than the other, have big boobs, have small boobs, have missing teeth, have a lazy eye, whatever, if you are offended by a ticking disability that the person can't control, and means no harm, then you just have to get a grip and accept that they deserve to be present in the world where everybody else is present, or remove yourself from the situation.

You can't control other people's actions, and with ticking disabilities, the person having the ticks also can't control them, but you can control your own actions and you can leave. Being black in this scenario isn't special, no matter how offensive you find it.

People with disabilities don't owe you their absence in favour of your comfort.

Yeah I wonder what the reaction would be here if he was black man with Tourettes shouting bitch, whore, slut at a white female actress.

Edited to add - whilst pointing out she is white!

Funny thing these protected characteristics. One does not trump another.

I really can’t get over how many of you think that it’s ok to throw these 3 black people under a bus.

Ok so John has the right to be there, but equally the 3 people receiving the degrading slur have the right to live their lives in peace without being humiliated on global tv with millions watching.

John’s disability doesn’t trump their rights.

You are failing to understand. This was an event watched internationally.

Finding ways to mitigate against this happening in the future is not cluelessness.

In a supermarket, the person hearing the word ‘N’ word could walk off. Jordan and Lindo didn’t have that option.

But you're going to meet these people every day of your life. You can't 'briefly step out' of life (though some people with bad Tourette's do isolate themselves because others refuse to understand.)

What happens if he encounters black or brown people on the bus or in a shops, how is he supposed to step out of those situations?

Should he also avoid anyone with a visible disability in case he calls them a slur, or anyone with an illness like his mom’s friend in case he tells them they are dying, or anyone who looks LGBT (regardless of whether they are) in case he calls them something appalling.

I don’t think there are any right answers here, his condition means he has the potential to give terrible offence to people who are vulnerable to offence, despite that probably being the last thing he wants to do. All he can really do is live his life, explain and educate (which it sounds like he’s dedicated his life to doing) and hope for understanding

Again, John seems to have left the event. Next time he could just step out for 5 mins rather than leaving.

No, he shouldn’t have to.

I don’t think they should be thrown under a bus

andif someone had actually insulted them I would be furious

to be an assault not an accident it has to be deliberate with malice or just disrespectful- the tik was none of those things

i am not saying the black people should be excluded from the event in case they triggered johns tik and caused him to say offensive words

but this is what people are saying about John … that he should be excluded because they find his tik offensive

I can understand an initial fear and horror and shock at hearing him - u I can’t understand acting as though thy have actually been abused and insulted hours after. That’s deliberate misunderstanding or hatred of disabled people neither of which is nice

He shouldn’t have to but he did leave, so stepping out next time might be a better option.

🙄. Exhausting.

Can you point out where the black people have acted as you say?

To clarify - it was broadcast because the BBC sound engineers didn’t hear the words clearly and thought it was muttering. The BBC have now apologised and removed the sound. The actors will still have heard it live though and all had been warned and knew upfront that this could potentially happen during the show.

Being called the N word when the world is watching ( some of it anyway) is an entirely different proposition.

It’s no one’s fault, but there are ways to
manage it in future so everyone can attend.

Everyone does considering there is no cure

I'm actually quite sickened by how this has played out. I've seen thousands, tens of thousands of riled up SJWs on social media baying for the blood of a vulnerable, disabled, working-class man today, including really horrible threats of violence.

For doing something he had no control over, at an award cememony in part honouring a film about his life that was made for that very reason.

I believe Jamie foxx has been ranting to the press about it ? I understand they guys on stage when it happened have been quite understanding even if they felt shocked.

I wish the BBC had edited these shoots out, as the poor man is now being castigated by possibly the thickest people on the planet.

Most of the abuse is coming from the far-left, who are all ‘be kind’ until you don’t fit their worldview.

More of that one the way if Polanski and Sultana get into power, folks. And no I’m not a Reform supporter.

Do you realise how uneducated your idea of stepping out for 5 minutes is?

Do you think a tic goes away in 5 minutes?

Do you think him getting himself all worked up to be quiet when he goes back in would help his tics?

This is a life long, debilitating, involuntary, neurological condition.

Would you tell someone who had a stroke to just take 5 minutes to get over their symptoms? Or someone with epilepsy to stop having a seizure because it's inconvenient?

But, once again, it's not like it's just triggered by one group of people.

So it still comes back to you thinking that sufferers of tourettes should never, ever interact with other people.

On the working class thing, Delroy Lindo is a Windrush child, born in Lewisham and raised by a single mum. Then moved to the U.S.

He worked in repertory theatre for years. He may be wealthy now but he's not a pampered Hollywood nepo baby.
And he has said nothing to the press, so pp claiming that he is making too much of it is wrong.

This is racist gaslighting.

Calling a black person “ignorant” for being uncomfortable having the n-word shouted at them is grotesque.

Yes. They failed in safeguarding both parties.

Again, we’re taking about a rare awards show, not day to day life.

I don’t think stepping out for 5 minutes to avoid saying racial slurs that can be heard across the world is impossible.

Also, even in a situation where someone with TS was repeatedly using racial slur words against a colleague, the employer has a duty to both employees and would need to protect the black
employee too.

The N word is much worse than words like fuck or dick or whatever. Of course it’s going to raise more questions.