BAFTA jury member quits over 'unforgivable' racial slur incident

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYTue, February 24, 2026 at 4:01 PM UTC

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A BAFTA jury member is quitting in response to the controversial incident where a racial slur, shouted by Tourette's advocate John Davidson while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage, aired on the awards ceremony's broadcast.

Jonte Richardson, a producer and editor, said on LinkedIn that he has withdrawn from BAFTA's emerging talent judging panel over the organization's "utterly unforgivable" handling of the incident at the British Academy Film Awards on Feb. 22.

During the British equivalent of the Oscars, Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome and was the subject of the nominated film "I Swear," involuntarily shouted a racial slur while "Sinners" stars Jordan and Lindo were presenting on stage. The moment was not edited out of the broadcast, which aired on a two-hour delay, and initially remained on the BBC's streaming service.

"I cannot and will not contribute my time energy and expertise to an organisation that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community," Richardson wrote, adding that "remaining involved would be tantamount to condoning its behaviour." He also said the incident inflicted harm "on both the Black and disabled communities."

John Davidson attends the BAFTA Film Awards on Feb. 22, 2026, in London.

USA TODAY has reached out to BAFTA for comment.

In a separate post, Richardson wrote that the "lack of safeguarding from the BBC and BAFTA for all parties involved is absolutely astounding."

Racial slur aimed at Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo prompts apologies

During Sunday's awards ceremony, BAFTAs host Alan Cumming informed the audience that Davidson was in attendance, noting that the "strong language in the background" can "be part of how Tourette's syndrome shows up for some people." He also thanked guests "for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone." Several other outbursts were heard during the ceremony.

"I Swear," a movie about Davidson's life, was a nominated film at the BAFTAs, and Robert Aramayo won best actor for his leading role as Davidson.

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Michael B. Jordan, left, and Delroy Lindo attend the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Feb. 12, 2026, in Santa Barbara, California.

Davidson has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to the Tourette Association of America. The majority of people with Tourette syndrome do not have Coprolalia, with a prevalence of 10-33% of people, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Alan Cumming addresses tic outburst from John Davidson during BAFTA awards

The BAFTAs and the BBC have come under fire for their handling of the incident, particularly because the racial slur was not immediately edited out despite the fact that the broadcast aired on a delay. Lindo also told Vanity Fair that he wished "someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards."

The BBC has since apologized "that this was not edited out prior to broadcast" and said the racial slur would be removed from the ceremony on streaming. In its own statement, BAFTA apologized over the fact that "our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many" and acknowledged "the harm this has caused."

"We take the duty of care to all our guests very seriously and start from a position of inclusion," BAFTA said. "We took measures to make those in attendance aware of the tics, announcing to the audience before the ceremony began, and throughout, that John was in the room and that they may hear strong language, involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony."

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Oscar hopefuls including Emma Stone ("Bugonia") are stepping out on the red carpet at the 2026 British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, Feb. 22, where "Sinners" and "Once Battle After Another" are vying for best film honors.

BAFTA went on to apologize "unreservedly" to Jordan and Lindo, adding, "We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologize 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."

Davidson previously shared a statement with Variety saying he is "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning." He added, "I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette's community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so. I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing."

Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Pamela Avila and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

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