BAFTA Awards Incident Highlights Misunderstanding of Tourette Syndrome
John Davidson, whose life inspired the award-winning biopic “I Swear,” involuntarily shouted a racial slur during Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo’s speech at the BAFTA film awards in London on Feb. 22, 2026. The moment went viral, and the ensuing backlash ignited public debate about Tourette syndrome and its most shocking symptom.
Who is John Davidson?
Davidson has been a familiar figure to British audiences since his teenage years, when he first appeared in a BBC documentary about Tourette syndrome. He has since devoted decades to public education about the condition, earning him a distinguished honor from Queen Elizabeth II in 2019. He is also an executive producer on “I Swear,” which won star Robert Aramayo the best actor BAFTA.
Understanding Tourette Syndrome
The reactions to Davidson’s tics at the BAFTA awards make clear that Tourette syndrome remains a deeply misunderstood condition, especially when it comes to obscene language tics, called coprolalia.
Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects about 0.5% to 0.7% of the population. It is characterized by involuntary movements and sounds called tics that usually begin in childhood and, for some people, continue into adulthood.
What are Tics?
Tics consist of movements, such as eye blinking or shoulder shrugging, or vocalizations, such as throat clearing or brief sounds. Some involve a single movement or sound, whereas others combine several movements or involve longer verbalizations – for example, finger snapping followed by a head jerk, or repeated words or phrases.
Coprolalia: A Misunderstood Symptom
Coprolalia, or involuntary obscene or offensive speech, is one of the most widely misunderstood features of Tourette’s. About 10% to 20% of people with Tourette syndrome experience this type of tic. Fewer than 1 in 5 people with Tourette’s experience taboo tics, such as coprolalia, but they can have an outsized effect on people’s lives.
The Experience of Living with Tourette’s
Tics often change over time in intensity, frequency and form, with relatively quiet periods followed by phases when symptoms are more severe. Many people feel an unpleasant building sensation before a tic, called a premonitory urge, describing it like an itch that needs to be scratched. Others experience tics more suddenly, like an unexpected sneeze. Some can temporarily suppress their tics, often at the cost of greater discomfort later, while others are unable to suppress them.
Tics can be physically taxing, leading to acute and chronic pain and injury. People with Tourette syndrome also frequently face stigma, discrimination and the pressure to monitor or hide their tics, which can take a serious psychological toll. People with Tourette syndrome are at increased risk of self-harm and suicide.
The Causes of Tourette Syndrome
The causes of Tourette syndrome aren’t fully understood, but it has a strong genetic component. Although it often runs in families, it can also be caused by birth complications or infections.
Why Profanity?
One of the most confusing aspects of taboo tics is that they can be contextually relevant while also being involuntary. Tics arise from dysfunction in neural circuits involved in movement and impulse control. Taboo words are emotionally charged and socially significant, so they tend to be more strongly encoded in the brain’s language and emotional networks than neutral words. This helps explain why coprolalia can also occur, albeit rarely, in people with brain lesions, neurodegenerative conditions and seizure disorders.
The Social Impact of Coprolalia
The social world can be precarious for people with Tourette syndrome who experience taboo tics like coprolalia. These tics are often associated with more severe symptoms more co-occurring conditions and greater social difficulty. Many people with prominent coprolalia withdraw from public life or carry the burden of constant disclosure and education.
Davidson’s Response and Fallout
Davidson issued a statement expressing his mortification, stating he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.” He left the auditorium early into the ceremony as he was aware of the distress his tics were causing. The BBC faced criticism for leaving a version of the ceremony on iPlayer with the slur audible for 15 hours before it was taken down.
People with Tourette syndrome, and especially those with taboo tics, need understanding and support to participate fully and safely in public life.
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