Tourette's Campaigner John Davidson Addresses Baftas N-Word Tic In Fresh Statement
Tourette’s syndrome campaigner John Davidson has released a new statement a week after inadvertently making headlines at this year’s Baftas.
Last month, John attended the awards show with the cast and crew of I Swear, a film inspired by his life story and experiences of living with Tourette’s.
During the event, he experienced a number of involuntary tics, one of which occurred while Sinners actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting on stage, resulting in him shouting the N-word from the audience.
In the last week, the incident has sparked a wave of headlines, with the BBC in particular facing scrutiny over how the uncensored slur ended up being included in the broadcaster’s Baftas coverage, which aired on a two-hour delay.
On Sunday, a week after the Baftas, John shared a message on his public Facebook page, claiming he’d been “waiting all week until the dust settles” to speak out.
“I would like to thank each and every one of you who have shown love, support and solidarity towards myself and the rest of the Tourette’s community,” he began. “Your kind words and support have got me through a very difficult week.
“Whilst I will never [apologise] for having Tourette syndrome, I will apologise for any pain, upset and misunderstanding that it may create. This past week has been tough, and has reminded me that what I do, raising awareness for such a misunderstood condition, there is still a long way to go and I will keep on keeping on until this is achieved.”
Shortly after the Baftas, John gave an interview to Variety, with his team indicating that he had reached out to the producers of Sinners, with the intention of apologising to both Michael and Delroy directly.
Meanwhile, after Delroy gave an interview expressing his disappointment at how Bafta handled the situation, the organisation released its own statement, apologising publicly to the two actors for how things transpired and accepting “full responsibility”.