The BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards 2026 were held in London on Sunday, and the biggest stars from around the world were in attendance. However, a moment that caused a stir was when Tourette’s activist John Davidson shouted a racist slur, the N-word, as actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented on stage. Jamie Foxx believes that John meant it when he shouted the word.
Jamie Foxx reacts to Tourette’s activist shouting N-word
An Instagram page posted a video of the moment John shouted the N-word loudly as Michael and Delroy presented the award at BAFTA. Commenting under it, Jamie wrote, “Nah he meant that s**t,” responding to how the activist was meant to have said it due to his Tourette’s. He also added, “Unacceptable,” apart from writing, “Out of all the words, you could’ve said Tourette’s makes you say that?” Actor Melvin Gregg also questioned the timing of the word being said, commenting, “How many other times did he say it during the show?”
The moment also left people on the internet calling out John, with one Instagram user commenting, “They handled that well. I would’ve said, who you talking to?” Another wrote, “And to say it during a brief break in silence. Man pleaseeeee he meant that.” Reality TV personality Miss Lawrence wrote, “GURLLLLLLL NO MAM!” Someone even commented, “Where is Will Smith?” referring to the infamous incident when he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022. Some came to John’s defence, claiming he didn’t mean to be ‘derogatory’.
How John Davidson caused a stir at BAFTA 2026
During the early part of the show, when BAFTA chair Sara Putt addressed the gathering, John was heard shouting ‘boring’ and ‘f**k off’. Later, when Michael and Delroy were presenting the Best Visual Effects award, he dropped the N-word. Michael seemed to freeze for a moment as Delroy tried to recover and continue with their presentation. Their smiles, however, dropped, and the moment quickly went viral on the internet, with people chiming in with their opinions.
Later, host Alan Cumming paused the show and explained that the ‘strong language’ wasn’t voluntary but from John, who has Tourette’s. John was at the awards show, as he’s the subject of the film I Swear, in which he’s played by Robert Aramayo. He is known for speaking openly about living with Tourette’s syndrome. He has worked for years to raise awareness and support others with the condition. In 2018, he received an honour from Queen Elizabeth II for his efforts.
For the unversed, the US-based National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokedescribes Tourette’s as a neurological disorder that may cause sudden, unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics.
