Jamie Foxx Calls BAFTAs Moment Unacceptable

The BAFTAs were meant to be a night of celebration, but the ceremony quickly spiraled into controversy after an offensive outburst echoed through London’s Royal Festival Hall. 

As black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the first award of the evening, a racial slur was heard from the audience. 

The shocking moment divided viewers, and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx did not hold back, taking to social media to voice his outrage.

Jamie Foxx made it clear he was not buying any excuses. After Tourette’s activist John Davidson was heard shouting the N-word during Sunday night’s ceremony, Foxx fired off a blunt response online.

“Out of all the words you could’ve said Tourette’s makes you say that. Nah he meant that s**t. Unacceptable,” he said, per the Daily Mail.

The comment quickly gained traction, fueling a heated debate across social media. Davidson, whose life inspired the film “I Swear,” has lived with a severe form of Tourette’s since childhood. 

The neurological condition is known for causing involuntary movements and vocal tics, sometimes including inappropriate language.

Still, Foxx’s reaction reflected how deeply the moment struck many viewers. The slur was reportedly shouted while Jordan and Lindo stood on stage. 

Though neither actor visibly reacted, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Davidson later chose to leave the ceremony after several disruptive outbursts, adding to the tension of an already uncomfortable situation.

While Jamie Foxx’s statement resonated with some fans, advocacy groups quickly stepped in to provide context. 

The Charity, Tourette’s Action, acknowledged the harm caused but emphasized that involuntary tics are not intentional expressions.

The charity said it “deeply understands that these words can cause hurt” but stressed they are “not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions or character.”

During the live broadcast, BAFTAs host Alan Cumming also addressed the incident. He told viewers, “You may have heard some strong and offensive language tonight. If you have seen the film I Swear, you will know that film is about the experience of a person with Tourette syndrome.”

He continued, “Tourette syndrome is a disability and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language. We apologise if you were offended.”

The explanation did little to quiet the online storm. Some defended Davidson, pointing to other celebrities like Lewis Capaldi and Billie Eilish who have spoken publicly about living with Tourette’s. 

Others echoed Foxx’s anger, arguing that intent does not erase impact.

The controversy deepened when viewers realized the slur had not been removed from the broadcast, despite a two-hour delay. 

Millions watching on BBC One heard the word, and it remained available on iPlayer the following morning.

The BBC initially apologized for “any offence caused,” but later admitted the incident should never have made it to air. 

In a statement, a spokesperson said, “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.”

They added, “We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.” 

The ceremony has since been taken down temporarily for editing.

The BAFTA awards wasn’t the first time Jamie Foxx took offense at the use of racial slurs. 

While filming “Robin Hood: Origins” in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in February 2017, the actor was reportedly subjected to a racial slur during a dinner at a local restaurant, with Croatian police later charging two men for their conduct. 

According to a report from BBC, officers intervened after receiving calls about “particularly arrogant and rude” insults in the restaurant that included a racial attack directed at one of the guests, which Foxx later indicated was aimed at him, posting and then deleting video of the moment on his Instagram. 

Croatian outlets and police said two men, aged 44 and 50, were accused of disturbing the peace and insulting a guest on racial grounds, and were to face disorderly conduct charges. 

In one of the clips Foxx shared, the men reportedly used the derogatory term “crncuga,” which Croatian news outlets translate as the N-word, before staff and police escorted them out.

The following year, Foxx spoke about a racist experience from his college days that he said shaped his early view of the entertainment world.

As reported byPEOPLE, the 58-year-old revealed that while he was studying classical music and composition at United States International University, he was not allowed to perform onstage in a college musical because he is Black. 

Foxx said the music department needed a tenor, but instead of putting him in the show, they would have him sing offstage behind a curtain while others performed, because there weren’t any African Americans in the production. 

The comedian explained, “They came to me because they needed a tenor. They wouldn’t let me go on the stage but they would let me behind the curtain. So I would sing in the back, and I would just sing the parts they needed me for.” 

According to him, that was how he learned about musicals.