Michael B. Jordan ‘Repulsed’ By BAFTAs Racial Slur As It Left His Parents In Tears

Michael B. Jordan is reportedly “repulsed” after a racial slur was hurled at him and his “Sinners” co-star Delroy Lindo during their presentation at the BAFTAs.

The incident, which was perpetrated by Tourette’s syndrome campaigner John Davidson, is understood to have left the Hollywood actor’s parents in tears.

John Davidson has since garnered backlash on social media for his outburst, with actor Jamie Foxx calling his action “unacceptable.”

Michael B. Jordan is understandably taken aback after suffering racial abuse at the 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) over the weekend.

As the event proceeded, Jordan and fellow black actor Delroy Lindo took to the stage to present the award for Best Visual Effects to “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

However, just as they began their segment, Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson hurled the N-word at them, leaving other show attendees at London’s Royal Festival Hall in shock.

While BAFTA host Alan Cumming quickly addressed the room to note Davidson’s remark was an involuntary one because of his condition, it appears the emotional toll it took on Jordan and his family was immediate, with a source telling Metro that the actor is “disgusted and repulsed” by the outburst.

“Michael had to do extensive research into the horrific psychological effects of racism to prepare for ‘Sinners,’ so he was disgusted, repulsed, and grossed out by John’s outburst,” the insider told the news outlet.

In the horror film set in 1932 Mississippi, Jordan plays the dual role of criminal twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return home to start a juke joint only to be confronted by a supernatural evil.

To play the role effectively, the insider who spoke to Metro noted that he “read works by savants like Joy DeGruy Leary to prepare for the role, so the incident really reminded him about how much work has to be done to drive racism underground.”

To top it off, the incident couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the source said that Jordan was already “having a difficult day” after getting wind of “an upsetting incident” in the Atlanta area. Hence, Davidson’s remark “just made it worse.”

“But, he is having a great year and won’t let this stop him. He’s focused on his new movie, The Thomas Crown Affair,” the source shared.

While the live audience was stunned, social media outrage intensified when it was discovered that the BBC failed to edit the slur out despite removing a director’s plea to “free Palestine” elsewhere in the broadcast.

The program remained on the BBC iPlayer for hours before it was eventually removed.

According to the news outlet, Jordan’s parents were left in tears after watching their sad encounter with the sad incident.

“His mum and dad broke down in tears when they saw what happened to him and Delroy, and it has been a horrible 48 hours for the family,” the insider said.

They continued, “Michael’s community in Newark was part of the Great Migration, which literally happened because Black people were being terrorised in the South. Seeing Michael and Delroy being called that word up there really hurt their loved ones, and so everyone is trying their best to support each other.”

“He postponed some plans in London to spend time with his parents as he recovers,” the source added.

Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes a person to make involuntary, repetitive movements or sounds called tics, and Davidson’s case seems to be more complicated as he suffers from coprolalia, which is a symptom that makes him involuntarily say socially unacceptable words or phrases, like when he famously shouted “f-ck the Queen” at Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.

Davidson released a statement on Monday expressing remorse for his outburst while adding that he’s “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”

He also thanked BAFTA for announcing to everyone that his tics are “involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs.”

“I was in attendance to celebrate the film of my life, I Swear, which, more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits, and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome,” he continued. “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.”

In his statement, Davidson revealed that he made the choice to leave the event, as he became aware of how his tics were affecting people around him.

“I chose to leave the auditorium early in the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing,” Davidson said.

However, he still garnered social media backlash from some individuals, with actor Jamie Foxx labeling his behavior as “unacceptable.”

“Out of all the words you could’ve said, Tourette’s makes you say that. Nah, he meant that sh-t. Unacceptable,” the Oscar winner said.

The BAFTAs and BBC have since apologized for the incident, especially for failing to edit out the slur before it aired.