*One week after a highly publicized incident at the BAFTA Film Awards, Tourette’s campaigner and activist John Davidson has broken his silence with a heartfelt statement addressed to his supporters.
Davidson, 54, was attending the ceremony when the stage microphones captured his involuntary tics without his knowledge, one of which included shouting a racial slur toward presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, who were on stage to hand out the award for Best Special Visual Effects. After realizing what had occurred, Davidson chose to remove himself from the room.
Taking to Facebook on March 1, Davidson expressed gratitude to those who had stood by him. “I would like to thank each and every one of you who have shown love, support and solidarity towards myself and the rest of the Tourette’s Community. Your kind words and support have got me through a very difficult week. Whilst I will never apologies for having Tourette syndrome, I will apologise for any pain, upset and misunderstanding that it may create.”
Davidson, whose personal journey with Tourette’s became the subject of the BAFTA-nominated biopic “I Swear,” also spoke to the broader mission driving his advocacy. “This past week has been tough, and has reminded me that what I do raising awareness for such a misunderstood condition, there is still a long way to go and I will keep on keeping on until this is achieved.” He also confirmed he privately apologized to both Jordan and Lindo.
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Both the BBC and the BAFTAs drew sharp criticism over their response to the episode, particularly after the slur remained in the televised broadcast while separate moments were edited out. The BBC has since apologized, announced an expedited internal review, and confirmed the footage would be scrubbed from BBC iPlayer. The BAFTAs also issued an apology, stating, “We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all.”
Lindo addressed the public response at the NAACP Image Awards, saying, “We appreciate all the support and the love that we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend. It means a lot to us.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: BAFTA Backlash Erupts After Tourette’s Advocate’s N-word Slur at Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo | WATCH
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