The studio behind Sinners was quick to respond to the racial slur controversy at the BAFTAs on Sunday. But the award organizers were not, with new reports shedding more light on the incident.
After John Davidson, who has Tourette’s and was at the award show to support a biopic about his life, involuntarily shouted a racial slur at presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, Warner Bros. immediately contacted the BAFTAs, according to an exclusive source speaking to Variety.
The source said that the studio execs “immediately raised the issue with BAFTA” and requested that the incident be edited out of the BBC’s broadcast. Allegedly, Warner Bros. was assured that the request was passed on.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, a meeting between Warner Bros. and BAFTA executives took place on Monday.
The BBC allegedly edited out a second racial slur from the event, according to Deadline. The corporation’s head of content, Kate Phillips, emailed the BBC’s staff today to explain the situation and offer an additional apology.
The Daily Beast has reached out to BAFTA and the BBC for comment.
The BBC came under fire for airing the footage of the slur. The show aired on a two-hour time delay, raising questions about why the incident remained in the broadcast. The unedited portion was also available to view on BBC iPlayer until Monday morning.
The broadcaster and the BAFTAs issued apologies after receiving widespread condemnation.
The incident took place toward the beginning of the night: Davidson, who has Tourette’s syndrome, was heard yelling out the N-word while Jordan and Lindo were presenting an award on stage. The actors paused momentarily and then continued presenting.
Davidson, who has campaigned for awareness about Tourette’s for decades, was present at the awards as a guest. His life became the inspiration for I Swear, a critically-acclaimed film that won multiple awards that night. Davidson also issued an emotional apology after the event, saying he was “deeply mortified.”
“I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness, and understanding from others, and I will continue to do so,” he continued, in a statement issued to Deadline, adding, “My tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs.”
Davidson explained that he “chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony” because of the “distress” that his tics were causing. He said his tics are involuntary and “are not a reflection” of his personal beliefs. The campaigner was heard having outbursts a handful of times during the ceremony.
Host Alan Cumming issued an apology on stage shortly after some of the outbursts took place, saying, “We apologize if you were offended.” But Lindo said that he wished “someone from BAFTA” had addressed the incident with him and Jordan directly on the night of the event.
The British Academy later released a statement about the controversy, taking “full responsibility” and apologizing “unreservedly” to the Sinners stars. “We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism,” the statement said. The BAFTA also thanked Davidson, writing, “During the ceremony, John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, and we would like to thank him for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.”
“We will learn from this,” the statement continued. “And keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy.”
The fallout has been immense, with much of the anger directed at the Academy and the BBC for their failure to air the incident unedited.
BAFTA jury member and filmmaker Jonte Richardson announced his resignation from the academy in the aftermath. He said the incident was “utterly unforgiveable.” He criticized BAFTA for having a “long history of systemic racism,” and said the academy refused “to acknowledge the harm inflicted on both the Black and disabled communities and offer an appropriate apology.”
