Jamie Foxx says John Davidson “meant” slur as Tourette’s charity responds to BAFTA incident

Tourettes Action has defended activist John Davidson following backlash over an involuntary outburst during the 2026 BAFTAs, after Jamie Foxx claimed the campaigner “meant” a racial slur heard at the ceremony.

Davidson, whose life inspired the 2025 biographical film I Swear starring Robert Aramayo, attended the awards alongside the cast and crew. During the event, he experienced a series of vocal tics, including shouting the n-word while Michael B.

Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award on stage. An uncensored version of the ceremony was later uploaded to BBC iPlayer and remained available overnight, prompting criticism online.

Foxx commented under an Instagram post about the incident, writing, “Unacceptable,” and, “Nah, he meant that sh*t.”

In response, Tourettes Action said it was “incredibly proud” of Davidson and the team behind I Swear, adding: “The film has already raised so much awareness about Tourette syndrome and the daily reality faced by those living with the condition.”

Addressing the backlash, the charity stated: “We deeply understand that these words can cause hurt and we are deeply sorry to the Black community for the harm caused but at the same time, it is vital that the public understands a fundamental truth about Tourette syndrome: tics are involuntary.

“They are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character. People with Tourette’s can say words or phrases they do not mean, do not endorse, and feel great distress about afterwards.”

The BBC apologised for failing to edit the language prior to broadcast, stating: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards… it was not intentional. We apologize that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”

Davidson said he was “deeply mortified” and confirmed he left the ceremony early due to the distress caused.