Nothing about this ongoing BAFTA/n-word controversy makes sense if you believe that BAFTA, as an organization, cares about racial inclusion and creating a respectful environment for all of their award-show attendees and nominees. Which is why I think we have to start looking at BAFTA with an abundance of skepticism about their motives, their actions and the lies they’ve already told. Yesterday, there was a story about Warner Bros’ executives making personal appeals to BAFTA organizers to edit the n-word out of the BBC broadcast. BAFTA apparently gave the executives the runaround, if not completely ignoring them Organizers also failed to speak to Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo and Hannah Beachler after they had racist slurs shouted at them at the BAFTAs. Well, we’ve officially entered ass-covering season, because BAFTA’s chair and CEO issued a statement that they’re doing a “comprehensive review” of the incident. What part of “y’all are racist as f–k” needs to be reviewed?
The British Academy has further addressed Sunday night’s N-word controversy at the Film Awards. In a letter to members sent Tuesday, BAFTA Chair Sara Putt and CEO Jane Millichip discussed the incident, in which Tourette’s syndrome activist John Davidson involuntarily shouted the N-word while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting on stage. In the letter, they said they wanted to “acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all.” They also said that a “comprehensive review” was now underway. The letter:
We would like to address the situation that arose during the EE BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday night, in which highly offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many was heard. We issued a statement last night, and we want members to hear from us directly, too.
We recognise this has impacted members in a multitude of ways – we want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all.
One of our guests, John Davidson MBE has Tourette Syndrome and has devoted his life to educating and campaigning for better understanding of the condition. John is an executive producer of one of the nominated films, I Swear. The film highlights that Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disability that causes involuntary verbal tics, that the individual has no control over. Such tics are in no way a reflection of an individual’s beliefs and are not intentional.
We take the duty of care to all our guests very seriously and prepared extensively in order for John to be able to be present in the room. We made those in attendance aware of the tics, announcing to the audience before the ceremony began, and throughout, that John was in the room and that they may hear involuntary strong and offensive language, noises or movements during the ceremony. We fully understand our intention to be inclusive in no way diminishes the impact of what happened.
Early in the ceremony loud and involuntary tics, including one in the form of a profoundly offensive term, were heard by many people in the room. Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we have apologised unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We have also thanked Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism – and regret they were put in this position in the first place.
During the ceremony, John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, and we have also thanked him for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.
We are in contact with the studios involved and conversations are ongoing.
We want to assure all our members that a comprehensive review is underway. You may have also seen the BBC have issued their own apology for the broadcast.
It was a very complex situation and we understand you will have many questions – please rest assured how seriously we are taking this. If you’d like to contact us, please email membership@bafta.org. We take full responsibility for putting our guests and members of the academy in a very difficult situation and we will learn from this.
We will keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy – as firmly demonstrated by this year’s nominated and winning films.
What’s pissing me off more than anything is the repeated use of “inclusion” when they’re solely referencing the inclusion of one white man with Tourette’s. They’re going to bust something as they pat themselves on the back for performing “inclusion” by allowing Davidson to scream racist slurs at OTHER GUESTS AND NOMINEES. I ask again – why isn’t the priority *actual* inclusion and actual respect for all guests and nominees? Why is there no acknowledgement that Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo and Hannah Beachler had every right to be treated with the same respect and dignity as all of the white BAFTA nominees and guests? Why is there this continued emphasis that it was supposed to be a night of celebration for Davidson alone, and not a celebration for all nominated and awarded films and artists? As I said, you have to see this story through the prism of “they didn’t treat this situation like an emergency because they were totally fine with Black artists being called the n-word.”
And for the love of God, it’s absolutely crazy that the BAFTA PRESIDENT has said absolutely nothing about this whatsoever. I guess Prince William is simply too lazy to announce that he’s bored with racism in 2026.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
