Jamie Foxx Named ‘Ableist’ Over Tourette’s Comment
RadarOnline.com can reveal that Jamie Foxx is being accused of ableism after condemning Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson’s involuntary racist comments at the BAFTAs as “unacceptable”, sparking a transatlantic row over disability, intention and broadcast responsibility.
The 58-year-old Oscar winner took to social media to respond to 54-year-old Davidson, whose life inspired the Bafta-winning biopic I swearthe N-word was heard shouted from the audience during Sunday night’s ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
The slur came when actors Michael B. Jordan, 39, and Delroy Lindo, 73, presented an award. Although neither actor visibly reacted on stage, apart from a brief pause when the “N-word” sounded, the moment was later broadcast during the BBC’s delayed broadcast.
Foxx later said, “Of all the words you could have said, Tourette makes you say that. No, he meant that…Unacceptable.”
But his comments sparked an immediate backlash from disability advocates, who said the comment ignored the neurological nature of coprolalia, a symptom of Tourette’s syndrome that is widely known to cause involuntary utterance of offensive words.
During the ceremony, presenter Alan Cumming, 61, spoke directly to viewers about John’s outburst. He said: “You may have heard strong and offensive language tonight. If you have seen the film I Swear, you know that the film is about the experience of someone with Tourette’s syndrome. Tourette’s syndrome is a disability and the tics you have heard tonight are involuntary, meaning the person with Tourette’s syndrome has no control over his or her language. We apologize if you have been offended.”
A BBC spokesperson later said: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language at the Bafta Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained at the ceremony this was not intentional. We apologize that this was not removed prior to broadcast, and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.”
The company pulled the ceremony from iPlayer to edit the footage and admitted the taint should have been removed before transmission.
Charity Tourette’s Action defended Davidson. A spokesperson said: “We fully understand that these words can cause pain, but at the same time it is vital that the public understands a fundamental truth about Tourette syndrome: tics are involuntary. They are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions or character.”
An industry source added: “Jamie’s intervention has added fuel to an already volatile debate. By questioning whether the tic was real, he has stepped into complex medical territory.”
“There are real concerns that reducing Tourette’s disease to a matter of choice undermines years of advocacy,” the insider noted.
Another insider said: “This has become bigger than one moment at an awards ceremony; it’s now about how society interprets disability and responsibility in the public eye.”
They continued: “Jamie is very familiar with themes of discrimination having appeared in films like Django unleashed. For someone of his stature to target someone like John is purely skillful and simply ignorant.”
In a statement issued the following evening, John said: “I wanted to thank Bafta and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and for inviting me to attend the broadcast.”
He added: “I appreciated the announcement to the audience prior to the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and do not reflect my personal beliefs. I was encouraged by the applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me.”
“In addition to the announcement by Alan Cumming, the BBC and Bafta, I can only add that I am and have always been deeply mortified if anyone considers that my involuntary tics are intentional or have any meaning,” Davidson concluded.
