Delroy Lindo voiced regret that no BAFTA representative reached out to him after a racial slur disrupted his presentation at the recent awards ceremony in London.
The Incident Unfolds
On Sunday evening, Lindo and his Sinners co-star Michael B. Jordan introduced the Best Visual Effects award when John Davidson, who has Tourette’s syndrome, shouted the N-word at them. Davidson’s involuntary tics, a hallmark of the neurological condition, also included other outbursts during the event, such as “shut the fuck up” during BAFTA chair Sara Putt’s opening speech and “fuck you” directed at the directors of Best Children’s and Family Film winner Boong.
Tourette’s syndrome triggers sudden, uncontrollable sounds or movements that do not reflect a person’s beliefs or intentions.
Lindo’s Afterparty Comments
At a subsequent Vanity Fair event, Lindo, an Oscar nominee for Sinners, explained that he and Jordan “did what we had to do” in the moment. He added, “I wished someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards.”
While attendees received prior warnings about Davidson’s condition, nominees and presenters report no such communication from organizers.
On-Stage Apology and Broadcast Issues
Host Alan Cumming addressed the audience from the stage, stating: “Tourette’s Syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight.”
The ceremony aired on BBC with a two-hour delay. The initial broadcast included the slur, prompting a BBC apology; the streaming version on BBC iPlayer now features edits.
Awards Highlights
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another led with six wins, including Best Picture and Best Director. Robert Aramayo delivered a major upset in I Swear, securing Best Actor over Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet, plus the BAFTA Rising Star Award. The film also claimed Best Casting.
Musical moments included EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI performing ‘Golden’ from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, and Jessie Ware’s emotive rendition of Barbra Streisand’s ‘The Way We Were’ during the In Memoriam segment.
