Delroy Lindo Reveals What He Thought for a 'Nanosecond' After Racial Slur at BAFTAs

Tommy McArdleThu, March 5, 2026 at 8:10 PM UTC

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Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo on stage during the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2026 on February 22, 2026 in London, England.Credit: Stuart Wilson/BAFTA/Getty -

Delroy Lindo explained what went through his mind during the racial slur incident that took place while he and Michael B. Jordan presented at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards

A Tourette syndrome activist named John Davidson yelled the n-word from the audience during the pair's appearance

The organization behind the BAFTAs, as well as Davidson, have apologized for the incident

Delroy Lindo is sharing what went through his mind during the racial slur incident at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards involving Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson.

The Sinners star, 73, appeared on NPR's Fresh Air with host Tonya Mosley on Thursday, March 5, where he spoke about how he and costar Michael B. Jordan reacted when Davidson, 54, yelled the n-word while the two presented an award on stage at the BAFTAs on Feb. 22.

"Can I stop you for one second? With all due respect," Lindo told host Mosley, in a clip from the podcast shared on Instagram.

"With all due respect, I'm actually not going to talk about this," he said, with a laugh. "I'm laughing because in the intro when you said, 'Oh, yes, we'll be talking about what happened with BAFTA,' I chuckled because I said, 'No, we're not.' "

Still, Lindo ultimately said he and Jordan, 39, "both had similar responses" when Davidson yelled the n-word during their BAFTA Awards presentation.

"You have to understand, we had jobs to do. We were the first presenters of the evening," he explained. "And we had to read that teleprompter, and we both did exactly that. Now, a couple of people who know — my wife says that I adjusted my glasses, and she said she knew when I adjusted my glasses that something was happening internally. But there was a nanosecond when I'm thinking, 'Wait, did I just hear what I thought I heard?' "

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Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo on Feb. 22, 2026; John Davidson on Feb. 22, 2026Credit: Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty; Aurore Marechal/BAFTA/Getty

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"But then, and it truly was a nanosecond, one had to read the teleprompter and get on with presenting the award," the Oscar nominee added. "So, you know, there was no time at all. I processed in the way that I processed in a nanosecond, Mike did similarly, and we went on and did our jobs."

Davidson, who shouted the racial slur, was invited to the ceremony to represent the film I Swear, which is based on his life and experiences with Tourette syndrome. (The movie won awards for Best Leading Actor and Best Casting.) Davidson began experiencing symptoms of Tourette syndrome, which causes involuntary verbal and physical tics, at age 12.

“Whilst I will never apologize for having Tourette syndrome, I will apologize for any pain, upset and misunderstanding that it may create," he wrote, in part, in a March 1 Facebook post addressing the incident. “This past week has been tough and it has reminded me that what I do raising awareness for such a misunderstood condition, there is still a long way to go and I will keep on keeping on until this is achieved."

Related: https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf

Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan on March 1, 2026Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

The organization behind the BAFTA Film Awards also formally apologized to Lindo and Jordan on Feb. 23, after the ceremony aired on the BBC and the incident was not edited out of the footage.

Lindo previously addressed the BAFTAs incident when he appeared at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, Feb. 28, when he said he and Jordan "appreciate all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened" at the event.

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