After BAFTA N-Word Controversy, A Black Woman With Tourette’s Offers Crucial Context

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The fallout from the 2026 BAFTA Awards is still unfolding after a shocking moment during the ceremony reignited conversations about race, disability and accountability. Read more about the BAFTA N-word controversy and how this Black woman with Tourette’s offers important context.

According to reporting from the Guardian, Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson shouted several verbal tics during the broadcast, including the N-word, while actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were on stage presenting the first award of the night. The incident quickly sparked outrage online and prompted responses from some of Hollywood’s most prominent voices.

Check out the viral video below:

Actor Jamie Foxx commented under a social media post about the controversy, writing “Unacceptable” and “Nah he meant that sh*t.” Actor Wendell Pierce also weighed in, saying it was “infuriating” that the first reaction was not a full apology directed at Lindo and Jordan. Journalist Jemele Hill echoed that frustration online, noting that Black people are often expected to absorb disrespect to spare others discomfort.

Check out her post below:

BAFTA host Alan Cumming addressed the audience twice during the ceremony, explaining that Tourette’s syndrome is a disability and that the tics heard were involuntary. A BBC spokesperson later issued a statement apologizing for the offensive language broadcast during the show. Still, critics, including production designer Hannah Beachler, called the apology insufficient, describing it as a “throwaway” response that focused on offense rather than impact.

Amid the heated debate, a Black woman with Tourette’s syndrome, @sh4ysgrwm, took to TikTok to offer crucial context. In widely shared posts, she explained that coprolalia, the involuntary utterance of socially inappropriate words or slurs, affects a small percentage of people with Tourette syndrome. She stressed that while the condition can cause uncontrollable speech, that reality does not erase the harm experienced by those targeted. Her message resonated because it held two truths at once. Disability deserves understanding, and Black people deserve protection from racial harm.

Check out her post about the BAFTA incident below:

Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics, and about 10 to 20% of people with the condition experience coprolalia. As outlined in the Guardian’s coverage, Davidson attended the ceremony because a film inspired by his life was nominated. But the broader conversation has shifted beyond one individual. It now centers on how institutions respond when racism and disability intersect in public spaces.

For many in the Black community, the issue is not about denying medical reality. It is about demanding accountability and care in moments that cause collective harm. The conversation continues, and so does the call for responses that acknowledge both disability advocacy and racial justice without diminishing either.

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