The British Academy’s favorite line about “inclusivity” took a hard hit this week at the BAFTAs, when a disabled activist’s uncontrollable tic made it to air while a political chant didn’t. The academy somehow found plenty of time to edit out “Free Palestine” but couldn’t manage to remove an involuntary racial slur shouted by John Davidson, a man with Tourette syndrome. One cut was political. The other required “understanding.” Guess which choice BAFTA made.
Davidson, whose life inspired the BAFTA-winning film I Swear, called the moment “deeply mortifying.” His statement thanked BAFTA for inviting him, noting they had announced before the broadcast that his tics were involuntary and didn’t reflect his personal views. “I was heartened by the round of applause,” he said, “and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me.”
But that sense of understanding didn’t last long. While director Akinola Davies Jr. wrapped up his win for My Father’s Shadow by shouting “Free Palestine,” BAFTA’s late-night editors managed to silence that message before airing the show. Yet, they had no problem leaving in Davidson’s involuntary outburst of the N-word as actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan stood on stage.
The discrepancy spread across social media within hours. Clips of the unedited moment went viral, prompting knee-jerk outrage and online armchair diagnoses. Hollywood shill Grace Randolph absolutely embarassed herself. Instead of helping, the BBC broadcast poured gasoline on the ignorance about Tourette’s syndrome. Few seemed to care that Davidson couldn’t control what he said. Some users called for him to be “segregated” from public events. Actor Jamie Foxx even chimed in, claiming, “Nah, he meant that sh-t.”
Tourette’s means no filter, which means this man thought it. Despicable.
The BAFTAs out here making fools of themselves and the entertainment industry. https://t.co/0ZST3XPx3D
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) February 23, 2026
Davidson left the auditorium right after the incident, later saying, “I chose to leave early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.” For his part, BAFTA waited more than twenty-four hours before apologizing. Their official statement said they “apologise unreservedly” to Jordan and Lindo and thanked them for their “dignity and professionalism.” They also thanked Davidson “for his dignity and consideration of others.” The word “hypocrisy” never appeared once.
Meanwhile, Lindo told Vanity Fair that he and Jordan “did what we had to do,” expressing disappointment that BAFTA never addressed the situation with them directly. The academy had the bandwidth to scrub a political message but not to explain why a man with a neurological condition became a global punching bag overnight.
Any sympathy for the man with the disability?
— Gender Receipts (@GenderReceipts) February 23, 2026
Emma McNally, CEO of Tourettes Action, defended Davidson, reminding people that “tics are involuntary” and “not a reflection of a person’s beliefs or character.” She called the backlash “extremely saddening,” especially given Davidson’s longtime work to educate others about the condition. Her point was clear—ignorance is a bigger problem than any tic could ever be.
Still, that question lingers. If BAFTA could cut “Free Palestine,” they clearly had time to cut a slur that an actual disabled man cannot control. I can name 5 AI tools available for free that could have removed the outbursts in 60 seconds or less, not to mention simply “gating” the podium mic. But here we are days later, no one at the academy has explained this decision. They can make a political edit, but when a medical condition complicates the optics, suddenly “editing” becomes too much work. I’m definitely not on the side of the “Free Palestine” crowd, but maybe this selective editing on BAFTAs part proves inclusivity has its limits when it risks offending the wrong crowd.
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