Piers Morgan brands Jamie Foxx ‘shockingly ill-informed’ as criticism mounts over actor claiming Tourette’s sufferer John Davidson’s BAFTA N-word controversy was ‘unacceptable’

by

As a longtime follower of Piers Morgan, I was really interested to see his take on the whole BAFTA situation with John Davidson, the man who has Tourette’s. He didn’t hold back, directly criticizing Jamie Foxx’s comments on the matter – it was a pretty strong response, as you’d expect from Piers!

During Sunday night’s awards ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall, John, the real-life inspiration for the movie I Swear, was reportedly heard using a racial slur while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage presenting the first award.

BAFTA is facing criticism for not removing an offensive term from a broadcast. Online, there’s been debate about who is to blame, with Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis stating the offensive remark, made due to an involuntary tic, was ‘unacceptable’.

On Wednesday, Piers Morgan tweeted about the movie ‘I Swear,’ sharing a poster and saying he found it ‘incredibly powerful and inspiring’ after watching it the night before.

Perhaps everyone commenting on the BAFTA controversy involving the racial slur should have actually watched the event first. It’s surprising how many people, like Jamie Foxx, are making comments without having all the facts.

After a disrespectful comment was made on Sunday, Michael and Delroy remained composed on stage. However, the show’s host, Alan Cumming, later apologized if anyone was offended, and John chose to leave the event mid-ceremony following a series of angry reactions.

John developed a serious case of Tourette’s syndrome when he was 12 years old. This condition causes him to make sudden, uncontrollable movements and sounds, called tics.

One of his most noticeable symptoms is coprolalia, a condition that causes him to blurt out rude or inappropriate words and phrases without meaning to. A well-known example of this happened in 2019 when he unexpectedly shouted an offensive phrase about the Queen while receiving his MBE.

Even though the BBC delayed their broadcast by two hours, his controversial comment from the BAFTAs was seen by millions watching on BBC One and remained available on iPlayer the next morning.

The BBC first apologized if anyone was offended, but now acknowledges the offensive language should have been removed before the program aired. The ceremony is no longer available on iPlayer as the BBC edits out the offensive term.

Okay, so John’s recent comment has really sparked a debate, and honestly, it’s gotten pretty heated. Jamie Foxx, known for his role in Django Unchained, was particularly upset, voicing his strong disapproval online. He basically said that choosing to use a reference to Tourette’s syndrome feels like a deliberate choice, not a slip of the tongue, and he finds it completely unacceptable. It’s a tough situation, and it’s clear this comment has really struck a nerve with a lot of people.

Okay, so I know some of the things he’s said have been… a lot. And honestly, it’s been really upsetting seeing people jump to conclusions. But Tourette’s Action explained it perfectly – those words? They aren’t him. They’re just… a symptom. It doesn’t mean he actually believes that stuff, or that he’s a bad person. It’s like, the condition makes him say things, but it’s totally separate from who he is inside, you know? It just… comes out. And they really emphasized that, and it makes me feel a little better, because I know he’s a good person, even if his Tourette’s makes it hard to see sometimes.

Well-known celebrities like Lewis Capaldi and Billie Eilish have recently shared that they have Tourette’s syndrome.

A production designer on the film Sinners claimed Pete Davidson made unwanted and offensive racial remarks towards her. She also said the situation was worsened by his dismissive apology, which simply stated ‘if you were offended’.

Kemi Badenoch, a leading Conservative politician, has criticized the BBC for what she called a ‘serious error’ and is demanding an explanation as to why an offensive term wasn’t immediately censored.

Wendell Pierce, who worked with Jordan on The Wire, was also very upset, stating that the immediate response should have been a sincere and complete apology to both Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan. He emphasized that the offense to them was the most important issue, regardless of the explanation behind the racist remark.

During the broadcast, Cumming apologized for the language viewers may have heard.

He acknowledged that some harsh language was used during the performance, explaining that it was similar to what’s depicted in the film I Swear, which portrays the life of someone living with Tourette’s syndrome.

Tourette syndrome is a condition that causes involuntary tics, including verbal ones. This means people with Tourette’s can’t control these sounds or words. We’re sorry if anything you heard was upsetting.

A BBC representative addressed concerns about strong language heard during the BAFTA Film Awards. They explained that the language came from involuntary tics related to Tourette syndrome and was not said intentionally, as was clarified during the event.

As a lifestyle expert, I always strive for polished content, and I’m so sorry about that slip-up you saw on air. We’re quickly fixing it – the version on BBC iPlayer will be updated shortly with the edit made.

The BBC removed the phrase ‘Free Palestine’ from the acceptance speech given by filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. after his film, My Father’s Shadow, won the BAFTA award for best British debut.

Read More

2026-02-26 14:34