Delroy Lindo Calls out BAFTA Response After Racial Slur Was Yelled at Awards Ceremony

Delroy Lindo said he wished someone from BAFTA had spoken to him and Michael B. Jordan after Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson yelled a racial slur while they were presenting an award during the show.

via: EW

Delroy Lindo was not impressed with how BAFTA reacted after Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson yelled a racial slur while Lindo was presenting an award with Michael B. Jordan during Sunday's ceremony.

During the show, the two Sinners stars stepped out on stage to present the award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. In the middle of their banter, Davidson — whose Tourette's symptoms include involuntary verbal and physical tics — was heard shouting the N-word. The duo paused in apparent shock before resuming to give out the award.

Afterwards, the show continued on and host Alan Cumming addressed the incident with a brief statement.

Lindo has since claimed that nobody from the British Academy of Film and Television approached him or Jordan to offer an apology or acknowledge the incident at all. While speaking to Vanity Fair at a Warner Brothers' after-party, Lindo said that he and Jordan "did what we had to do" when they were on stage, but added that he wishes "someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards."

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for BAFTA, Lindo, and Jordan for comment.

Davidson, a Tourette syndrome activist, attended the event in support of the film, I Swear, which was inspired by his personal experience living with Tourette's. The title is a reference to his uncontrollable swearing, a symptom of his condition. Prior to the show beginning, the event's stage manager introduced Davidson to the audience and alerted attendees that they might hear some "involuntary noises or movements" during the ceremony.

Later, Cumming took the stage and asked for "understanding" amid the outbursts, which he indicated might've led to audiences hearing "some strong language in the background."  He then thanked the crowd for "understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone," per Variety.

According to the outlet, Cumming later added, "Tourette 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 apologize if you are offended tonight."

Lindo's comments comes after Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler posted on X that a racial slur was also directed at her during the show, and that she felt the BAFTAs' apology was a "throw away."

Other outbursts that were heard throughout the night included "Shut the f--- up," during a speech from BAFTA chair Sara Putt, as well as 'f--- you" when the winners of Best Children’s and Family Film accepted their award. 

Following the N-word incident, Variety reports that Davidson left the venue but later returned to celebrate the Best Actor win of Robert Aramayo, who plays him in I Swear. In an upset, Aramayo beat out a star-studded roster of competitors, including Jordan, Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Jesse Plemons (Bugonia).