More than a week after a shocking interruption during the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, Alan Cumming has spoken out about the moment an audience member with Tourette's syndrome shouted a racial slur as Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan took to the stage.
Alan, 61, described the incident as "trauma triggering", adding: "We were all let down by decisions made to both broadcast slurs and censor free speech."
During the ceremony in London, while Sinners stars Delroy and Michael were presenting the special visual effects award, Scottish campaigner John Davidson, who has Tourette's syndrome, shouted a racial slur, which was broadcast on the BBC.
Commenting for the first time, the Scottish star, who hosted the ceremony, wrote on Instagram: "It's now a week since I hosted the Baftas. What should have been an evening celebrating creativity and inclusion turned into a trauma triggering [explicit].
"I'm so sorry for all the pain Black people have felt hearing that word echoed round the world."
During the broadcast, Alan apologised for the language viewers may have heard, and in the aftermath the BBC apologised for not editing it out and said its executive complaints unit would complete a "fast-tracked investigation" into the incident. John was at the Baftas representing the film I Swear, which tells the story of his life with the condition, which he developed when he was 12.
He has described feeling "mortified" by what happened and said in an interview with Variety that the BBC should have "worked harder" to ensure his racial slur was not broadcast.
Alan continued: "I'm so sorry the Tourettes community has been reminded of the lack of understanding and tolerance that abounds regarding their condition. The only possible good that could come of this is a reminder that words matter, that rushing to judgment about things of which we are not fully cognisant is folly, that all trauma must be recognised and honoured.
© Getty Images for BAFTA"We were all let down by decisions made to both broadcast slurs and censor free speech. Congratulations to all those artists whose work was overshadowed by the night's events."
Bafta apologised after the film awards and said it took "full responsibility" for putting its guests in a "difficult situation". Bafta also apologised "unreservedly" to the Sinners stars, and "to all those impacted", adding: "We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism."
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty ImThe statement continued: "We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all. We will learn from this and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy."
