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An awkward moment at the 79th BAFTA Awards quickly changed the vibe inside the room while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage presenting.
Just as the pair were in the middle of their segment, a racial slur was shouted from the audience.
You could see Michael pause for a split second, visibly thrown off, before regaining his composure and continuing. Delroy also stayed poised, but the energy in the room definitely shifted. What had been a celebratory moment suddenly felt tense and uncomfortable.
Host Alan Cumming quickly stepped in to explain that the outburst was an involuntary vocal tic linked to Tourette syndrome.
The person responsible, John Davidson, is a longtime advocate whose life inspired the 2025 film I Swear. He later shared that he was deeply embarrassed and left the ceremony early once he realized the distress caused.
However, some viewers felt the British Academy of Film and Television Arts initially tried to smooth over or downplay the seriousness of the moment during the live broadcast, moving quickly to contain the situation and keep the show flowing.
Sources close to Michael B. Jordan claim Jordan and Lindo were more troubled by how the situation was handled behind the scenes, alleging organizers attempted to downplay the moment as merely an “outburst.” Sources described the evening as “ruined” for the actors, who chose not to address the incident publicly in order to keep the focus on their film.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts issued an apology to Michael, Delroy and viewers, and confirmed the moment would be edited out of the broadcast.
Despite the disruption, the ceremony moved forward, but it was one of those moments where you could feel the atmosphere change in real time.