Tourette’s charity claps back after Jamie Foxx claims John Davidson “meant” racial slur at BAFTAs

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A charity is supporting Tourette’s activist John Davidson following his comments at the 2026 BAFTA awards, calling the negative reaction “very upsetting.” This comes after Jamie Foxx suggested Davidson’s words were genuine.

Having grown up when Tourette’s syndrome wasn’t well understood, Davidson dedicated his life to raising awareness and promoting understanding of the condition. His story is the basis for the 2025 biographical film I Swear, starring Robert Aramayo.

The actual Davidson was present at the 2026 BAFTAs with the film’s team. During the event, he involuntarily exhibited a number of tics, which unfortunately included a racial slur being shouted while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award.

Despite leaving the event after 25 minutes, following the issue with Jordan and Lindo, an unedited version of the ceremony was posted on BBC iPlayer and stayed there all night. This caused a lot of negative reactions online.

Tourette’s charity defends John Davidson after BAFTAs backlash

Jamie Foxx reacted to the situation by commenting on an Instagram post, stating, “Unacceptable,” and confirming he believed Davidson’s intentions were genuine. Following this, Tourettes Action, a UK charity, has publicly supported Davidson in light of the incident.

During the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards on February 22nd, John Davidson, an activist with Tourette’s syndrome, unexpectedly shouted a racial slur while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award. The show’s host, Alan Cumming, responded by asking the audience to be understanding of the situation.

— Jer Bear (@JerBear) February 23, 2026

A representative expressed strong pride in Davidson and the entire team behind the creation of ‘I Swear’.

The movie has significantly increased understanding of Tourette’s syndrome and the challenges people with the condition experience every day, according to those who have seen it.

The charity also wants to respond to some negative feedback about John’s involuntary vocal tics that occurred during the event.

We recognize that our previous statements were hurtful, and we sincerely apologize to the Black community for the pain they caused. It’s also important for everyone to understand that Tourette syndrome causes tics, which are movements or sounds people can’t control.

Tics caused by Tourette’s Syndrome aren’t a sign of someone’s beliefs, what they intend, or who they are as a person. Individuals with Tourette’s may involuntarily say things they don’t mean or agree with, and often feel upset afterwards.

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A post shared by Tourettes Action (@tourettesaction)

These symptoms are caused by a neurological condition, not a deliberate choice, and John experiences them daily, just like many people with Tourette’s syndrome.

Tourettes Action was deeply disappointed by the negative reaction from some media outlets, especially considering John’s dedication to increasing awareness and understanding of Tourette’s syndrome.

What started as a celebratory night quickly became too much for him, and he had to leave the event early. This situation perfectly illustrates the loneliness, lack of understanding, and heavy emotional burden that are so often part of the experience depicted in I Swear.

Individuals with Tourette’s Syndrome are continually adjusting to their surroundings and managing their symptoms to navigate daily life. Being misunderstood can unfortunately lead to increased feelings of loneliness, as well as a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and tragically, suicide.

We encourage viewers to watch the film and learn about Tourette’s syndrome to better understand the challenges people face. Understanding and kindness are incredibly important.

Responding to recent criticism, Davidson stated that, like Alan Cumming and following statements from the BBC and BAFTA, he wants to clarify he’s always been upset if anyone thought his involuntary tics were deliberate or had a specific purpose.

He explained that he’s dedicated his life to helping and encouraging people with Tourette’s, and to promoting empathy and kindness towards them, and he plans to keep doing so.

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A post shared by StudiocanalUK (@studiocanaluk)

I left the ceremony soon after it began because I realized my tics were bothering people.

Following public criticism, the BBC apologized for not removing racist language from the broadcast of the 2026 BAFTAs, and has since taken the program off its streaming service, iPlayer.

The broadcaster acknowledged that some viewers may have been exposed to strong or offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards.

The unexpected sounds heard were caused by involuntary tics related to Tourette syndrome, and were not intentional, as was clarified during the event. We’re sorry this wasn’t removed before the broadcast and are now taking it down from the BBC iPlayer version.

After the awards show, Delroy Lindo explained to Vanity Fair that he and Michael B. Jordan handled their presenting duties as best they could, but he felt someone from BAFTA should have checked in with them afterward.

How to watch I Swear in the US

After winning a BAFTA award, more people are searching for the movie “I Swear.” Currently, it’s not available to stream in the United States. But it will be coming to Netflix in the UK on March 10th, and viewers outside the UK can access it using a VPN.

If you can’t use this method, it is expected to drop on Netflix US in mid-to-late 2026. 

You can currently watch the 1989 documentary John’s Not Mad on YouTube. This film played a key role in raising public awareness about Tourette Syndrome, a condition that wasn’t widely known at the time.

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2026-02-24 14:51