Jamie Foxx and jamie foxx: Baftas 2026 Outcry Over Tourette's Slur and Cut Speech
jamie foxx: unclear in the provided context. At the Bafta Film Awards on Sunday, John Davidson — whose life story inspired the film I Swear — shouted the N-word while Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting, and the has apologised for not editing the moment out before broadcast.
What took place onstage
John Davidson, a Tourette's campaigner from Galashiels in Scotland whose life inspired I Swear, shouted the N-word as Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the first prize of Sunday's ceremony. Another version of the accounts says the outburst occurred while the pair were presenting the award for best visual effects. The opening monologue by host Alan Cumming had included involuntary ticking from Davidson earlier in the show, and the audience had been informed of his condition before the broadcast began. Cumming later addressed the issue from the stage, explaining: "You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette's syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience, " and he added, "Thanks for your understanding and for helping create a respectful space for everyone. " Jordan was visibly startled when Davidson yelled and, as the presenters carried on, many audience members gasped.
apology and broadcast edits
The moment was not edited out of the One broadcast, which was shown on a two-hour delay, and the clip remained on iPlayer on Monday morning before the ceremony was removed. A spokesperson said: "We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on iPlayer. " In another statement the corporation 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. " The corporation declined to comment further on why it wasn't initially edited or bleeped out.
Responses from presenters and guests
After the ceremony, Delroy Lindo told Vanity Fair that he and Michael B Jordan "did what we had to do" as they carried on presenting the category, but he also said he wished "someone from Bafta spoke to us afterward. " Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the had made "a horrible mistake" by not editing it out at the time, adding: "I think an apology is important, they need to explain why it wasn't bleeped out. " Bafta said it acknowledged the "harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all. " Following the incident, Davidson appeared to remove himself from the theater. At post-ceremony events, Lindo was later seen in good spirits, chatting with castmate Wunmi Mosaku, who won the BAFTA for best supporting actress.
Coprolalia and Davidson's statement
Tourette's is characterised by sudden, involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds, known as tics. Between 10% and 30% of people with the condition have tics that produce socially unacceptable words such as swearing — known as coprolalia — the Tourette's Action charity explains. Davidson, who was made an MBE in 2019, shouted loudly several times before and during the Bafta ceremony and his tics could be heard several times during the night. He said on Monday that he was "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning" and 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. " Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler wrote on X that the situation "is almost impossible... it happened 3 times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show. "
Cuts to a winner's speech
Separately, My Father's Shadow filmmakers Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jr. won the BAFTA Film Award for outstanding British debut on Sunday. Akinola Davies Jr. closed his winner's remarks by dedicating the Outstanding Debut for a British Writer, Director or Producer award to "all those whose parents migrated to obtain a better life for their children. " He continued: "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... For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine. " That section of Davies Jr. 's speech was removed from the broadcast; the edit instead featured Davies Jr. thanking his family and his brother, Wale, for "nurturing this spark. " A 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 Bafta's YouTube channel. " The broadcaster had made preparations for politically charged speeches to avoid last year's national scandal when a festival act chanted "death to the IDF. "
Jamie Foxx: unclear in the provided context
jamie foxx: unclear in the provided context. The materials supplied do not state any involvement by Jamie Foxx in these events or any related comments.
Robert Aramayo, whose life is connected to I Swear, won the BAFTA rising-star award and also the lead-actor prize at the ceremony, beating contenders Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ryan Coogler won best original screenplay and gave a speech that included: "I come from a community that loves me and spoke a lot of power into me. They made me believe that I could do this. That I could be a writer. " Following the ceremony, BAFTA hosted a dinner for nominees and guests where the incident was widely spoken about, and several after-parties were attended by presenters and winners, with Michael B Jordan listed as a host of one event.
Closing: The Baftas episode combined an involuntary medical condition, a live broadcast edited for time, and contested editorial decisions — resulting in a apology, the removal of the ceremony from iPlayer, and wider discussion among guests and winners about what happened that night.
