A black actor who portrayed John Davidson’s lawyer in a film about his battle with Tourette’s has defended the campaigner after his N-word outburst during the BAFTAs.
Scottish actor Thierry Mabonga, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said actors should have been warned about Davidson’s condition, which is characterised by involuntary movements or sounds known as tics.
Davidson, whose life story inspired the film I Swear, was heard yelling the N-word while black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the first prize of the night at London‘s Royal Festive Hall on Sunday night.
While the Sinners stars did not react, BAFTAs host Alan Cumming later said ‘we apologise if it has caused offence’ and Davidson made the decision to leave the ceremony halfway through after several incendiary outbursts.
Davidson has suffered from a severe form of Tourette’s since the age of 12, with the condition characterised by involuntary movements or sounds known as tics.
One of his biggest symptoms is coprolalia which makes him involuntary say socially inappropriate words or phrases, including when he famously shouted ‘f*** the Queen’ at Elizabeth II when he was awarded his MBE in 2019.
Davidson has faced a backlash from stars including Oscar winner Jamie Foxx who said: ‘Out of all the words you could’ve said Tourette’s makes you say that. Nah he meant that s**t. Unacceptable.’
But Mabonga has responded to the backlash with a video on TikTok where he discusses the scene in which he acts as Davidson’s lawyer after he gets himself into trouble.
‘I’m representing him but at the same time, he’s hurling abuse at me and it’s very offensive words,’ he says. ‘Now, this is the condition, the disease of Tourette’s Syndrome. John cannot control what he says. In fact that’s the whole point of why we’re making this film
I Swear details the life of campaigner John, now 54, who was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at a time when little was known about the condition
BAFTAs host Alan Cumming was forced to apologise to viewers after Tourette’s activist John Davidson was heard yelling the N-word during a presentation by black actors Michael B. Jordan (left) and Delroy Lindo (right)
‘We’ve made this film, I Swear, is to educate people about Tourette’s syndrome.’
Mabonga said it was integral that Davidson attended the BAFTAs, adding: ‘This is a film about his life. This is a film about him. Absolutely he has to be there. And absolutely it’s great that he was there.
‘And I don’t know if some of the actors there were told in advance about someone with Tourette’s being there. Hopefully they would have been told therefore prepared for that kind of stuff that happened.’
Mabonga concluded the video by saying: ‘Regardless, John has Tourette’s. Enough said.’
Despite there being a two-hour time delay on the BBC‘s coverage, Davidson’s BAFTAs slur was aired to millions tuning in on BBC One and could still be heard on iPlayer on Monday morning.
The BBC initially apologised for ‘any offence caused’ but has now admitted the slur should have been ‘edited out prior to broadcast’. The awards ceremony has disappeared off iPlayer while the BBC removes the N-word outburst.
Charity Tourette’s Action said it ‘deeply understands that these words can cause hurt’ but insisted they are ‘not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions or character’. High-profile celebrities including Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi and US star Billie Eilish have publicly spoken about living with Tourette’s.
A Sinners production designer also alleged she was subjected to Davidson’s involuntary racial slurs, adding that the situation was made worse by ‘the throw away apology’ of ‘if you were offended’.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused the BBC of making a ‘horrible mistake’ and called for the Corporation to explain why the slur was not initially ‘bleeped out’.
Jordan’s former co-star on The Wire, Wendell Pierce, also reacted furiously, saying: ‘It’s infuriating that the first reaction wasn’t complete and full throated [sic] apologies to Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan. The insult to them takes priority. It doesn’t matter the reasoning for the racist slur.’
During the broadcast, Cumming issued an apology for the language viewers may hear.
He said: ‘You may have heard some strong and offensive language tonight. If you have seen the film I Swear, you will know that film is about the experience of a person with Tourette syndrome.
‘Tourette syndrome is a disability and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you were offended.’
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘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 apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.’
In contrast, the BBC edited out ‘Free Palestine’ from an acceptance speech made by filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr after My Father’s Shadow won the BAFTA for outstanding British debut.
In the days before the BAFTAs, it emerged that the BBC was going to be monitoring politically charged speeches after it was embroiled in a scandal last year when it streamed Bob Vylan chanting ‘death to the IDF’ at Glastonbury.
Davies Jr closed his speech by dedicating the award to ‘all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children’.
He added: ‘To the economic migrant. The conflict migrant. Those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution, and those experiencing genocide. You matter. Your stories matter more than ever. Your dreams are an act of resistance.
‘To those watching at home, archive your loved ones. Archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever. For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine, thank you.’
This part of his speech was removed from the BBC, with viewers instead featuring Davies Jr thanking his family and his brother, Wale, for ‘nurturing this spark’.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The live event is three hours and it has to be reduced to two hours for its on-air slot. The same happened to other speeches made during the night and all edits were made to ensure the programme was delivered to time. All winners’ speeches will be available to watch via Bafta’s YouTube channel.’
Viewers have reacted furiously online to the N-word being kept in, but Free Palestine being edited out.
One said: ‘So let me get this straight: There is a 2hr delay between the BAFTA event & the BBC airing it. In that time they managed to edit out a woman saying ‘Free Palestine’ but didn’t edit out the man with Tourette’s shouting the N word at 2 black people? Is that where we are?’
Another wrote: ‘I’m devastated that Delroy Lindo & Michael B. Jordan experienced this. I feel for John too & whilst it was involuntary, I do hope to hear a public apology from him soon. What I cannot abide is the BBC/Bafta airing that moment but cutting Akinola Davies saying ‘Free Palestine’.’
A third said: ‘My only public sentiment i’ll share is if a program was on a two hour delay and a different winner had their acceptance speech edited in post for saying ‘free palestine,’ there was no reason other than harm and embarrassment to keep the clip of john davidson shouting the n-word at michael b. jordan and delroy lindo, unintentionally or otherwise.’
And a fourth fumed: ‘John Davidson should apologise even though I don’t agree with dismissing his disability as a reason. The BBC should be raked over the coals. They need to explain why ‘n*****’ could be aired but ‘free palestine’ couldn’t.’
Meanwhile, Hannah Beachler – a production designer on Sinners – said: ‘I keep trying to write about what happened at the BAFTAs, and I can’t find the words. The situation is almost impossible, but it happened 3 times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show.
‘And a third time at a Black woman. I understand and deeply know why this is an impossible situation. I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through. But what made the situation worse was the throw away apology of ‘if you were offended’.
‘At the end of the show. Of course we were offended… but our frequency, our spiritual vibration is tuned to a higher level than what happened. I am not steal, this did not bounce off of me, but I exist above it. It can’t take away from who I am as an artist.’
Tourettes Action said it was ‘incredibly proud’ of Davidson and those involved in the film I Swear, which tells the story of his life, having developed the condition when he was 12.
A spokesperson for the charity said: ‘We also want to address the negative comments that have surfaced following John’s involuntary vocal tics during the ceremony.
‘We deeply understand that these words can cause hurt but, at the same time, it is vital that the public understands a fundamental truth about Tourette syndrome, tics are involuntary. They are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions or character.
‘People with Tourette’s can say words or phrases they do not mean, do not endorse and feel great distress about afterwards.
‘These symptoms are neurological, not intentional, and they are something John – like many others with Tourette’s – lives with every single day.’
It went on to say that it had found the ‘backlash’ to the incident ‘deeply saddening’ and added that Davidson had made a decision to leave the ceremony early.
It comes after the BBC last year came under fire for streaming Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set, which included the band chanting ‘Death to the IDF’.
The performance sparked widespread backlash, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing the chants as ‘appalling’.
The BBC later admitted to breaking editorial guidelines and former director-general Tim Davie was forced to apologise to the Commons’ Culture Select Committee, and told staff the broadcast was ‘deeply-offensive’ and ‘totally unacceptance’.
After coming under fire again following Sunday’s BAFTAs, the BBC has apologised for ‘any offence caused’ after a racial slur was broadcast.
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx has blasted Tourette’s activist John Davidson for his ‘unacceptable’ N-word outburst at the BAFTAs
Hannah Beachler – a production designer on Sinners – also alleged she was subjected to Davidson’s involuntary racial slurs
In contrast, the BBC edited out ‘Free Palestine’ from an acceptance speech made by filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr (pictured)
Viewers reacted furiously after the BBC edited out ‘Free Palestine’ but kept in the N-word slur
BAFTA host Alan Cumming thanked audience for Tourette’s understanding as I Swear’s John Davidson let out involuntary shouts during Sunday’s ceremony
I Swear stars Robert Aramayo (pictured in the film) as campaigner John. The film depicts his younger years living in Glasgow, when he was first diagnosed with Tourette’s
Join the debate
Do YOU believe this could have been handled better?
I Swear stars Robert Aramayo, and tells the story of Scottish campaigner for Tourette syndrome, John Davidson, who developed the condition when he was 12, and was in the audience for at least part of the ceremony.
Aramayo won best actor and the EE Rising Star for his performance in the film, which also won best casting.
Speaking on Times Radio, Ed Palmer, vice chairman of Tourettes Action said the BBC should have considered bleeping out the slur.
He said: ‘This is really one of the most acute examples of where something that is a disability can cause quite understandably huge amounts of offence to someone.
‘So, if it’s being pre-recorded now, then bleeping it out, for example, might be a reasonable compromise. But I think it has to be taken on a case-by-case kind of decision and scenario.
‘But I’m very, very mindful of the people that would have quite understandably been hugely offended by whatever word was said, or an offensive word that’s used by somebody with tics and Tourette’s.’
Palmer went on to say he thought ‘it is important to show compassion and understand that it is involuntary’ and added that ‘causing offence is often very distressing to people who have this condition’.
Ms Badenoch said on Good Morning Britain today: ‘I think because this was the BAFTAs this is now going to escalate. Someone with Tourette’s said something they shouldn’t have done, we are not going to blame their disability.
‘But it should have been bleeped. I was told there were two other things bleeped, people shouting ‘Free Palestine’.’
The Tory leader added: ‘The BBC made a mistake, a horrible mistake. I think the two actors who were standing there would have been the most embarrassed because they wouldn’t have known what was going on.
‘Delroy Lindo, Michael B. Jordan, they are the one’s that need the biggest apology. This is a huge, huge mistake… An apology is important but they need to explain why it wasn’t bleeped out.’
The ceremony saw Sinners director Ryan Coogler become the first black winner of the Bafta for best original screenplay for the film, which also won best supporting actress for Wunmi Mosaku and original score.
