Jonte Richardson Steps Down as BAFTA Judge

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Jonte Richardson has resigned from his position as a judge for BAFTA’s emerging talent awards following the incident where a racial slur was used during the ceremony. In a LinkedIn post on February 22nd, Richardson stated he was compelled to step down due to BAFTA’s handling of the situation, calling it “utterly unforgivable.” He explained that he could not support an organization that had consistently failed to protect the respect and dignity of Black individuals within the industry.

I was really shocked during the awards show when John Davidson, the man whose life inspired the movie I Swear, unexpectedly shouted a racial slur while presenting with Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. It actually made it onto the live broadcast! The host, Alan Cumming, quickly explained that John has Tourette’s syndrome, and those outbursts are involuntary – he can’t control them. He apologized if anyone was offended, explaining the film I Swear is about living with this condition. Honestly, though, the way the apology was worded felt a little off, especially since they were editing other parts of the show. It just didn’t sit right with me.

Richardson explained that continuing to work with BAFTA, an organization with a history of its own issues with racism, would feel like accepting their harmful actions, especially considering the impact on Black and disabled communities. She urged BAFTA and the BBC to recognize the damage they’ve caused and make changes to ensure their teams are more inclusive and prevent similar problems from happening again.

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2026-02-24 05:54