Facing Tourette’s BAFTA Statement — February 23rd, 2026

We at Facing Tourette’s are deeply saddened to have learned about the incident at last night’s BAFTA awards. What should have been a night of celebration of the arts including from artists and individuals traditionally side-lined in mainstream art, was overshadowed by a deeply hurtful incident. John Davidson, a man with Tourette’s whose biopic was up for awards at the ceremony, yelled a racial slur at Black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, and later at Hannah Beachler (the Sinners production designer). It is important to note two things— racial slurs and that slur in particular are deeply harmful and violent in ways that white people (including the two of us at FT) often struggle to fully understand. It is not just a “bad word” but something that has accompanied acts of deep violence historically and in our contemporary era. To learn that these three human beings were met with such hateful language is deeply upsetting and our sympathies are with them. Why the word was ultimately aired rather than censored in the delayed broadcast, when other parts of the broadcast were bleeped out (such as someone saying “Free Palestine”), we do not know. The BBC airing it unedited just amplified the harm to the entire Black community.

As a TS advocacy organization, we do want to take the opportunity to clear up some misconceptions about Tourette’s and slurs. The following facts do not mean that there was not severe harm done by Davidson at the awards ceremony. A racial slur tic is one example of coprolalia, involuntary use of obscene language, which impacts about one in ten people with TS. While an “n-word tic” is frequently the coprolalia tic that gets the most attention, coprolalia tics can include swear words, threats, or extremely offensive sexual language and descriptions. Part of what is extremely confusing, difficult, and embarrassing about these tics is that they are frequently what is referred to as ego-dystonic. That is to say, they are often at odds with what the person values in ways that are unacceptable, repugnant, and extremely disturbing. Ego-dystonic thoughts are also common with OCD (sometimes called intrusive thoughts in this context) and other disorders that frequently overlap with TS. Other ego-dystonic thoughts can include violent images or extremely upsetting sexual thoughts that the person has no desire to act on. Many people do not understand ego-dystonic thoughts, leading to severe mental health issues up to and including suicide in people with OCD, TS, and other related disorders.

At times such as this, people sometimes claim that tics are some expression of repressed desire. That really when someone tics, they are letting out a true part of themselves, and the coprolalia is evidence of something wrong with the person morally, or with their circumstances that they would be exposed to the taboo word, term, or idea. This is frequently not the case, and the tic is actually a manifestation of something the person with Tourette’s would never desire to say of their own accord. While we can never know another person’s heart, it is important to understand the concept of ego-dystonic thoughts and tics in order to create a world where people can seek help for their thoughts and tics so they do not harm others or themselves.

The problem goes beyond last night’s incident. It reflects a legacy both of racial harm and a legacy of a lack of resources for people with ego-dystonic tics. Both of these things need to be addressed, both in US society and around the world. Many times people do harm to others not of their own accord. This does not mean the harm was not done or that the experience of the people harmed does not matter. But, if we can solve the root causes of the harm, we can prevent it from happening in the first place. Access to medications, therapies, and management techniques can help people redirect their coprolalia into less offensive terms, or lessen tics entirely. More research is needed to develop and promote these treatments, but in the U.S., very few resources are devoted to the issue. In addition, non-Black people taking the time to understand the Black experience of such a term and other racist incidents can plant the seeds of a more equitable world, where past and present harm is more thoroughly addressed, and deep harm is not glossed over with excuses.

We at FT hope for a world where incidents like last night are a distant memory for us all.

Thank you for Facing Tourette’s with us (even on days like today, when it is very painful.)

Other resources and statements:

While we want to recognize that there are many diverging opinions on the issue from both the Tourette’s community and the Black community, here is the voice of a Black woman named Shay with coprolalia explaining the issue as she sees it and why it’s not an issue of Davidson’s character per se, but that that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t still apologize. We agree with her stance and the nuance she brings to it. Here’s Part 1 and Part 2.

Here is an article going deeper into ego-dystonic thoughts, specifically in the realm of OCD.

Here is John Davidson’s statement.

Here is Tourettes Action’s statement.