Jayme Lawson Criticizes BAFTA and BBC After N-Word Outburst, Praises Jordan and Lindo at NAACP Image Awards
Jayme Lawson used the NAACP Image Awards red carpet to condemn how the BAFTA ceremony and the handled a racial-slur outburst last weekend, calling the episode exploitation and praising the responses of Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. Her comments came as the controversy continued to reverberate through the industry and across media coverage.
Jayme Lawson on BAFTA's Decision and Inclusivity
Lawson, a star of Sinners, said that inviting someone into a space without providing the resources to keep everyone safe is not inclusion but exploitation. She credited Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo for the grace and dignity they showed when the incident occurred onstage and argued the episode exposed institutional failures. Lawson said that the man’s disability was exploited and that that exploitation led to multiple offenses, placing responsibility on BAFTA for the outcome.
John Davidson and the BAFTA Outburst
The outburst at the British awards ceremony came from guest John Davidson, a Tourette’s campaigner, whose involuntary tics included a racial slur uttered while Jordan and Lindo were presenting. Davidson later said he felt a wave of shame upon realizing the crowd could hear his involuntary tics and questioned why he had been seated so close to a microphone. Representatives for BAFTA and for Davidson issued statements and apologies in the days that followed, and the episode has dominated headlines for the past week.
Broadcast and Warner Bros. ' Edit Request
At the center of continuing questions is the ’s decision to air the moment in a tape-delayed broadcast. Warner Bros. had requested that the outburst be edited out of the televised version, but the segment was still aired. Lawson criticized the for what she called a careless airing and contrasted that with the broadcaster’s decision to censor other material, noting the had censored Akinola Davies Jr. ’s speech during the ceremony.
Pasadena Civic Auditorium Reaction and NAACP Image Awards
The NAACP Image Awards telecast took place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where the response to the BAFTA incident was immediate and visible. Regina Hall asked the audience to take a moment for “the two kings” in attendance, gesturing to Jordan and Lindo, and the pair received a standing ovation. That applause followed a pointed opening from host Deon Cole and preceded moments of support from winners and presenters throughout the evening.
Delroy Lindo, Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler on Stage
Delroy Lindo later took the stage to present with filmmaker Ryan Coogler and publicly thanked supporters for the outpouring of love. Lindo said he appreciated the support and called the aftermath “a classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive. ” Coogler also acknowledged the significance of being among the Black community at the Image Awards. Sinners, Coogler’s vampire thriller, was the most-nominated project at this year’s Image Awards, and Michael B. Jordan is competing for Entertainer of the Year.
