‘Sinners’ production designer condemns Baftas for Alan Cumming’s “throw away apology” over racial slur incident
Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler has condemned the Baftas for issuing a “throw away apology” after Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson involuntarily shouted a racial slur during the ceremony.
Davidson was in attendance in support of I Swear, which is based on his life. Robert Ayamaro won the Bafta for ‘Best Actor’ for his portrayal of Davidson.
Before leaving the ceremony on his own accord halfway through, Davidson shouted the N-word at Sinners stars Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan while they presented the Bafta for ‘Best Visual Effects’.
He also shouted “shut the fuck up” and “boring” when Bafta chair Sarah Putt delivered a speech prior.
Host Alan Cumming twice acknowledged that Davidson suffered from Tourette’s with Coprolalia, which had caused him to shout at the stage during the ceremony. He said, “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. Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.”
Cumming also explained later on, “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.”
Now, Beachler has hit out at Cumming’s remarks on the subject during the ceremony. Beachler’s thread on X began, “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.”
She continued, “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.”
Her set of posts concluded, “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.”
Jamie Foxx also condemned Davidson for his involuntary remarks, taking to Instagram to describe the comments as “unacceptable”, and claiming “he meant that shit”.
Notably, Davidson suffers from Tourette’s with Coprolalia, which only affects a small percentage of people with Tourette’s, causing them to “produce socially unacceptable words”, according to Tourettes Action.
In a statement shared with Far Out, Tourettes Action expressed support for Davidson and condemned the backlash that he has received on social media.
The charity explained, “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.”
They also responded to criticism that Davidson is facing, stating, “The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding.”
Tourettes Action then called upon those attacking Davidson to “take the time to watch the film, learn about Tourette’s, and understand the experiences behind moments like these”, before adding, “Education is key, and compassion makes a world of difference”.
A BBC spokesperson has 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.”
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