Delroy Lindo has expressed his disappointment that no one from BAFTA reached out to him or his co-star Michael B. Jordan after a racial slur was shouted at them during Sunday’s awards ceremony.
The two Sinners stars were on stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall to present the award for Best Visual Effects when Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson shouted the N-word from the audience.
Speaking at a Warner Bros. afterparty, the 73-year-old actor reflected on the uncomfortable moment, noting that while he and Jordan “did what [they] had to do” by continuing with the presentation, the lack of communication from the organisers afterwards was noticeable.
Lindo admitted that he wished “someone from BAFTA spoke to [them] afterwards” to acknowledge the incident.
The controversy surrounds John Davidson, the real-life inspiration for the biopic I Swear, which saw its lead actor Robert Aramayo take home the BAFTA for Best Leading Actor that same night.
Throughout the evening, Davidson’s involuntary tics included several other outbursts, such as swearing at BAFTA chair Sara Putt during her opening speech and shouting at the directors of the film Boong.
The BBC, which aired the ceremony with a two-hour delay, faced heavy criticism for failing to edit out the racial slur.
The broadcaster later apologised, explaining that the offensive language was a result of involuntary tics and was not intentional.
They confirmed the remarks would be removed from future versions on the BBC iPlayer.
Host Alan Cumming also tried to manage the situation during the broadcast, explaining that Tourette’s syndrome is a disability and asking the audience for their understanding in creating a respectful space.
However, many in the industry feel the response fell short.
The Wire actor Wendell Pierce called it “infuriating” that the focus seemed to be on explaining the condition rather than offering a full apology to Lindo and Jordan.
He argued that the insult to the actors should have taken priority, regardless of the medical reasoning.
Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler also shared that she was targeted by a slur that night, criticising the host’s “if you were offended” phrasing.
She noted: “Of course we were offended.”
On the other side of the debate, Robert Aramayo defended Davidson, insisting that the campaigner could not control his comments.
The 33-year-old actor urged the public to understand that Davidson was simply “ticking” and not being intentionally abusive.
He stated: “First of all, they are tics. He is ticking. We have to understand.”
While Aramayo hopes the moment leads to a deeper conversation about the condition, stars like Jamie Foxx have labelled the incident “unacceptable.”
