Tourette's Activist Addresses Yelling N-Word During 2026 BAFTA Awards

Tourette's activist John Davidson has broken his silence after yelling a racial slur and other obscenities during the 2026 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards.

"I wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast," Davidson, 54, said in a statement to Variety on Monday, February 23. "I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs."

Davidson was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome after he first started experiencing symptoms at age 12. Tourette's is defined as "a neurological disorder that may cause sudden unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics," per the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Davidson's experience with the disease inspired the film I Swear, which was up for multiple awards. (Robert Aramayo, who played Davidson in the movie, took home the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role that evening, beating out Michael B. Jordan, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke and Jesse Plemons.)

The activist added that he was "heartened by the round of applause" from the audience after they were warned of his condition and likelihood of a potential outburst "in an environment that would normally be impossible" for him to attend.

"In addition to the announcement by [BAFTAs host] Alan Cumming, the BBC and BAFTA, I can only add that I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning," he continued.

During the awards ceremony on Sunday, February 22, Davidson had multiple outbursts while winners and presenters were speaking on stage. According to the outlet, Davidson shouted, "Shut the f*** up" during a speech by BAFTA chair Sara Putt, "F*** you" when the directors of Boong accepted their award and the N-word when Jordan, 39, and Delroy Lindo presented the Best Visual Effects award to Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Davidson shared that while he was honored to be included at the event, he chose to leave early following his outbursts.

"I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette's community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so," he said. "I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing."

On Sunday, Cumming, 61, addressed Davidson's outbursts during the awards show.

"You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette's syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience," Cumming said while on stage in London's Royal Festival Hall. "Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone."

Later in the show, Cumming made an additional comment to the crowd about Tourette's.

"Tourette's syndrome is a disability and the tics you've heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette's syndrome has no control over their language," he said. "We apologize if you are offended tonight."

Copyright 2026 Us Weekly. All rights reserved

This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 2:28 PM.