Two Sundays ago, John Davidson, a man with Tourette’s, attended the BAFTAs. He was seated forty rows back, but he was also seated close to some kind of microphone. He began ticcing during the awards show, but he had faith that BAFTA would take care of him and edit out all of his offensive shouts. They did not. Then Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo came on stage and Davidson ticced the n-word loud enough for everyone to hear, especially Lindo and Jordan. Even though they had a two-hour delay, the BBC only edited out all of Davidson’s tics except that one. At no point during the BAFTAs did anyone from BAFTA org speak to Lindo or Jordan, nor did they speak to Hannah Beachler, who was also called the n-word by Davidson. BAFTA and the BBC then took a full 24 hours to apologize, while still centering Davidson and not the Black artists who were racially abused. Well, more than a week later, Davidson has issued a statement with the sentence he refused to say this whole time: “I will apologise for any pain, upset and misunderstanding that it may create…” From his Facebook:
I’ve been waiting all week until the dust settles after the weekend at the BAFTAs in London.
I would like to thank each and every one of you who have shown love, support and solidarity towards myself and the rest of the Tourette’s Community. Your kind words and support have got me through a very difficult week.
Whilst I will never apologies for having Tourette syndrome, I will apologise for any pain, upset and misunderstanding that it may create.
This past week has been tough, and has reminded me that what I do raising awareness for such a misunderstood condition, there is still a long way to go and I will keep on keeping on until this is achieved.
Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou I love you all.
Johnny D x
One of the common arguments of the people telling Lindo, Beachler and Jordan to “get over” being racially abused in front of their peers was that Davidson shouldn’t have to apologize “for having Tourette’s.” It was always a straw man argument, especially given that the film based on his life, I Swear, shows him apologizing for offending people often when he tics. You know why he does that? Because even though Tourette’s isn’t his fault, he knows that his involuntary tics still cause actual harm, even if that harm is now being widely derided, mocked and minimized by white supremacists who are using Davidson for their own purposes. It’s shocking to me that Davidson was seemingly incapable of simply saying, in essence, “I’m sorry for the pain my involuntary tics caused” for a full week. Yes, he said “f–k the queen” right in front of Queen Elizabeth II. You know what he did right after that? He apologized to her. Why did so many people insist for a full f–king week that Jordan, Beachler and Lindo did not deserve an apology from Davidson? Don’t tell me, I already know.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, screencap courtesy of ABC.
