John Davidson caused a stir over his involuntary shouting of the N-word – a racial slur – towards the 2026 BAFTA stage where Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented a Best Effect Visuals award.
The racial slur was part of several outbursts, explained by Davidson, that occurred during the star-studded night due to his Tourette’s syndrome.
He breaks his silence on the controversy and offers a glimpse into what was going on inside when he blurted out the offensive words.
“At first my tics consisted of sounds and movements, but the more nervous I became, the more my tics increased. When my coprolalia tics came out, my stomach dropped.”
“As always, I felt a wave of shame and shame come over me. You want the floor to swallow you up. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to hide – just stay away from all eyes.”
Davidson, who was at BAFTA in 2026 for the film I Swear – loosely inspired by his life – says his stomach turned when he shouted the N-word.
“I hoped people would understand. My mind said, these people have seen the movie. They’ll know there’s nothing I can do about it. They’ll know it’s not me. This is exactly why we’re here. I said in my mind, ‘Please don’t judge me.’ “Please understand that this is not who I am.”
For his part, the Tourette activist diffused the tension by opting out of the audience.
“I tried to calm myself and catch my breath, but eventually I decided to leave so as not to cause more upset. BAFTA found a private room with a monitor where I could watch the rest of the awards.”
Davidson also revealed elsewhere in the interview that he had personally approached Warner Bros – the studio behind the Sinners – in an attempt to apologize directly to Jordan and Lindo.
