Tourette’s, Identity, and Outrage: One Black Woman’s Surprising Take on the John Davidson Racial Slur Firestorm
Did you ever notice how, at the most glittering red carpet events, the thing we end up talking about isn’t always who won the fancy statue—it’s anything but? Here’s a head-scratcher: What happens when an awards show, a notorious live wire (ahem, the BAFTAs), hands the microphone to someone whose brain-wiring means he sometimes blurts out the words we’re all trained not to say? John Davidson, Tourette’s campaigner and the real-life subject of the nominated film I Swear, found himself at the flashing core of this very question after an unscripted outburst became front-page news . It was awkward. It was complicated. It was, depending on who you ask, either a colossal slip-up by organizers or a raw lesson in the unpredictable tangle of disability, intent, and public accountability . I’ll admit it—my own reaction ping-ponged between shock, sympathy, and “seriously, BBC, have you met humans before?” And now, as the dust refuses to settle, Davidson’s first interview and a surprising counterpoint from a black woman in the Tourette’s community have added perspective to a debate that’s anything but clear-cut . Before we clutch our pearls or point fingers, let’s dig in for all the nuance, emotion, and teachable moments this story refuses to stop giving . LEARN MORE
The fallout of John Davidson’s racial slur incident at the BAFTAs has continued, with the Tourette’s campaigner having given his first interview about it.
John was attending the BAFTAs after the film based on his life, I Swear, was nominated for several awards. Unfortunately though John, who has Tourette’s, ended up shouting the N word after Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage to present an award.
Speaking to Variety in his first interview, John spoke about how he has ‘other offensive tics’ and questioned why the BBC sat him so close to a microphone knowing this fact.
The incident has sparked a huge debate online with Jamie Foxx weighing in to publicly criticise John, though others were far more critical of the BBC.
The BAFTAs were aired at a two-hour delay and another offensive slur said during the broadcast was reportedly edited out, however John’s use of the N word was left in.
John Davidson and Robert Aramayo, the star of I Swear (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Now though someone with a unique perspective on the incident, a black woman with Tourette’s syndrome, has weighed in on the controversy and criticism of John.
A DJ called Versatile posted a two-part video on TikTok, stating it was unedited to demonstrate the severity of her tics.
Versatile first explains how Tourette’s works, before ‘relating that to John Davidson’, explaining that he has vocal tics.
She said: “If he hears something, if he is around something, he can pick up the sounds or the words… Unfortunately, at some point in his life, he has picked up that N word.”
She states that debating whether John is racist or not is not relevant as she doesn’t know him, but that as he has Tourette’s it was an ‘involuntary tic’.
Versatile goes on to point to the fact that the BAFTAs knew about John’s situation considering the film based on his life, I Swear, specifically tells the story of exactly how his tics work.
Versatile bravely leaves in her tics during the video to show how difficult it can be to live with Tourette’s (TikTok/Versatile)
She said: “Everyone at the BAFTAs was briefed about him coming and what his condition is. They even said he might say something he doesn’t mean due to his tics. People were aware of that.
“Before even saying that N word when he said it he was saying multiple obscenities the whole time. That was not the first thing that he said.
“It’s a new environment, he’s around people, his anxiety’s high, he’s ticking more. Stress can also be a factor of increased tics.”
She pointed out that, after saying the N word he actually also says the B word quickly afterwards, suggesting that these were involuntary tics and not conscious choices.
She added: “If someone was being racist are they really going to say it so boldly at a ceremony like that and wouldn’t that person still sit there and stay seated.
“John got up from his seat and decided to remove himself because he decided it was too much.”
Versatile went on to discuss the differences in British racism and American racism, stating that as a black woman living in the UK, she believes that British racism is ‘very covert’.
She said: “It’s micro-aggressions, it’s institutionalised, it’s socio-economic, it’s not blatant, it’s not someone coming up to you and saying ‘N-Word’.
“That’s not a common thing, whereas over in America it’s a lot more in your face, it’s a lot more violent… that is very triggering on both parties.”
The DJ went on to point to the fact that, since the N Word is so triggering in the black community, anyone hearing it said by a member of a different community understandably will instinctively believe that it is ‘racially motivated’.
She added: “It makes us hard to believe that a white person saying the N word could not be racist, I’ve experienced being called that so I know the impact it can have when it’s said.
Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan have both been critical of the way the situation was dealt with (Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
“I completely understand anyone hearing that can be offended, and rightfully so you should be offended by that word being used, however in this unique case where it’s being used you can assume it’s not being used racially motivated. This is someone who has a condition that shouts out involuntary things.”
The British woman with Tourette’s went on to call this a ‘teachable moment’ and acknowledge the hurt this incident will have caused for both sides.
The BBC apologised in a statement released earlier this week, saying: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta film awards.
“This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional. We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”
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