BAFTA Jury Member Quits Over Handling of Tourette’s Tic at Film Awards: “Utterly Unforgivable”
#BAFTA #Tourette's Syndrome #Racial Slur #Jonte Richardson #John Davidson #Michael B. Jordan #Delroy Lindo #Film Awards
📌 Key Takeaways
- BAFTA jury member Jonte Richardson resigned over the organization's handling of a racial slur incident
- John Davidson, a Tourette's campaigner, shouted a racial slur while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award
- BAFTA apologized for putting guests in a difficult situation while defending Davidson's right to attend
- The BBC also apologized for failing to cut the slur from the final broadcast
📖 Full Retelling
BAFTA jury member Jonte Richardson announced his resignation from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts over the handling of an incident where Tourette's campaigner John Davidson shouted a racial slur during the Sunday BAFTA Film Awards ceremony while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the award for best visual effects, citing the organization's 'repeated failure to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests.' The incident occurred when Davidson, an executive producer on the BAFTA-nominated film 'I Swear' and a Tourette's campaigner, was introduced to the audience, who had been warned about his involuntary tics. Later, Davidson expressed being 'deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.' The BBC subsequently apologized for failing to cut the slur from the final broadcast, aired on a two-hour delay, while BAFTA faced criticism for their handling of the situation, issuing an 'unreserved' apology to Jordan and Lindo while defending Davidson's right to attend the ceremony. In his Facebook statement, Richardson described the handling of the incident as 'utterly unforgivable,' emphasizing that he 'cannot and will not contribute my time, energy and expertise to an organization that has repeatedly failed to safeguard the dignity of its Black guests, members and the Black creative community.' BAFTA responded by stating they 'take the duty of care to all our guests very seriously and start from a position of inclusion,' noting they had announced Davidson's presence and potential involuntary noises to the audience beforehand. The Academy thanked Jordan and Lindo for their 'incredible dignity and professionalism,' noting that Davidson chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, while taking 'full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation.'
🏷️ Themes
Diversity and Inclusion, Disability Awareness, Media Responsibility
📚 Related People & Topics
Delroy Lindo
American actor (born 1952)
Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is an American actor. Starting his career in the 1975 stage production of Of Mice and Men, he later earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor for his work in the 1988 production of Joe Turner's Come and Gone. He received wider recognition wit...
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Independent trade association and charity
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual award ceremonies, BAFTA has an international programme of lear...
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Connections for Delroy Lindo:
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British Academy Film Awards
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Sinners
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Tourette syndrome
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NAACP Image Awards
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BBC
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Original Source
Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment The BAFTA controversy has entered its third day. Filmmaker and independent producer Jonte Richardson said on social media that he is stepping down as a BAFTA jury member over the British Academy’s handling of the racial slur shouted as Sinners duo Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for best visual effects. Tourette’s campaigner and executive producer on the BAFTA-nominated I Swear John Davidson was introduced to the audience at Sunday’s BAFTA Film Awards ceremony , and the crowd warned over his Tourette syndrome, a condition characterized by sudden, involuntary and repetitive movements or sounds, called “tics.” Davidson — whose life inspired I Swear , for which Robert Aramayo won the best actor BAFTA — later said he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.” Related Stories TV Microdramas in MIP London Focus: Why They Don't Cast Famous People, How Men Are Coming on Board and a Toilet Pitch Movies Tourette's Campaigner John Davidson Says He Is "Deeply Mortified" if Anyone Considers "Involuntary Tics to Be Intentional" After BAFTA Backlash The BBC apologized for failing to cut the slur from the final broadcast, aired on a two-hour delay on the British broadcaster. BAFTA has also taken some heat for its bungling of the situation, and apologized “unreservedly” to Jordan and Lindo while defending Davidson’s right to be at the ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter looked at how the night unfolded in detail here , and later spoke to those with Tourette’s Syndrome to weigh in on the significance of the moment. In a statement on Facebook Monday night, Richardson said that the “handling of the unfortunate Tourettes’ N-word incident” was “utterly unforgivable.” “I cannot and...
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