Baftas 2026: Jamie Foxx criticises Tourette’s campaigner for “unacceptable” racial slur
Jamie Foxx has criticised the Tourette’s campaigner who directed a racial slur at Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan at the Baftas ceremony.
The incident took place on February 22nd, when John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome and inspired the critically-acclaimed film I Swear, shouted the N-word towards the stage.
Lindo and Jordan were presenting the first award of the night for ‘Best Visual Effects’, which was awarded to Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Davidson later left the ceremony, which Variety reported was of his own accord rather than being under instructions by Bafta. Earlier in the ceremony, Davidson also shouted “shut the fuck up” and “boring” when Bafta chair Sarah Putt delivered a speech prior.
Additionally, host Alan Cumming twice acknowledged the remarks, sharing with those in the room, “Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”
Cumming also explained to those in attendance, “Tourette’s Syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you are offended tonight.”
Jamie Foxx has now to the comment section of a post made by The Neighborhood Talk on Instagram to condemn Davidson, claiming, “Nah he meant that shit.”
Foxx also added “Unacceptable,” and, in a comment that appears to have been deleted, he also wrote, “Out of all the words, you could have said Tourette’s makes you say that?”
Davidson suffers from Tourette’s with Coprolalia, which only affects a small percent of people with Tourette’s, and according to the charity Tourette’s Action is “the clinical term for tics that produce socially unacceptable words”.
A BBC spokesperson has since apologised for the incident, sharing in an official statement: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta Film Awards 2026. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and was not intentional. We apologise for any offence caused by the language heard.”
I Swear, which sees Robert Aramayo play Davidson, had a triumphant night at the Baftas. Aramayo, who also won the ‘Rising Star’ award, took home the prestigious ‘Best Actor’ prize, beating the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Overall, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another came out on top to take home a total of six Baftas.
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