Jayme Lawson Calls Out BAFTA and BBC Over Handling of Racial Slur Incident
Sinners star Jayme Lawson praised her co-stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo for their composure after a racial slur was directed at them during the BAFTA Awards last weekend. “I’ll first say a huge shout-out to Mike and Delroy; let’s continue to honor them for how they handled that in real time,” she told The Hollywood Reporter at the NAACP Image Awards on March 1, 2026. However, Lawson also voiced strong criticism of the BAFTA Awards and the BBC for their handling of the situation.
Incident at the BAFTA Awards
During the February 22nd BAFTA Awards, John Davidson, an advocate with Tourette’s syndrome and coprolalia (involuntary outbursts of offensive language), shouted a racial slur at Jordan and Lindo while they were presenting an award. The audience was informed of Davidson’s condition, but Lawson argued that further measures should have been taken to ensure the safety and dignity of all involved.
“Exploitation, Not Inclusion”
“Institutionally, we still don’t understand what inclusion means,” Lawson stated. “Just as you invite someone into a space, but you don’t provide the necessary resources to keep them and everyone else in that room safe by them being there, that’s not inclusivity. That’s exploitation.” She emphasized that Davidson’s disability was exploited during the incident, leading to multiple offenses.
Criticism of the BBC’s Editing Choices
Lawson also criticized the BBC for airing only a portion of Davidson’s outbursts. “That man’s disability got exploited that night, and it led to multiple offenses,” she said. “That’s the BAFTA’s fault. And then the BBC to air what they aired is careless — and not like some haphazard accident — a real lack of care was exercised for those two Black men.” Lawson further pointed out that the BBC also edited out a statement of “Free Palestine” from director Akinola Davies Jr.’s speech.
Broader Concerns About Representation
“So you censored one Black man. You failed to protect two others, and our production designer,” she continued, referencing the Sinners production designer who was also subjected to the slur. “You do not care for our dignity, our humanity. You wish to celebrate our art, but you won’t protect it.” The BBC has stated that Davies’ speech was cut for time constraints—a claim Lawson finds dubious, noting a similar edit occurred during the BRIT Awards when “Free Palestine” was bleeped from Geese’s acceptance speech.
“You want to celebrate our art, but you won’t protect it.” – Jayme Lawson
About Sinners
Sinners is a 2025 American horror film produced, written, and directed by Ryan Coogler. The film, set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as criminal identical twin brothers. It also features Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo. The film was released on April 18, 2025, and has grossed $369 million worldwide against a budget of $90–100 million.