The actor was on stage with his “Sinners” costar Michael B. Jordan last week when Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson shouted the N-word from the audience.

Delroy Lindo publicly addresses BAFTAs racial slur incident after standing ovation at NAACP Awards

The actor was on stage with his "Sinners" costar Michael B. Jordan last week when Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson shouted the N-word from the audience.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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March 1, 2026 2:13 p.m. ET

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Delroy Lindo at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards. Credit:

Paras Griffin/Getty

Delroy Lindo was showered with love at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, one week after a racist slur was hurled at him while he was on stage at the BAFTAs.

The Oscar nominee stepped out alongside his *Sinners* director Ryan Coogler to present an award at the ceremony, but before either could speak, the room erupted with rousing applause and the audience greeted them with a standing ovation. After the applause died down, Lindo made his gratitude very clear.

"I'd just like to officially say, I appreciate — *we* appreciate — all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend," Lindo said. "It means a lot to us. It is an honor to be here amongst our people this evening, among so many people who have shown us such incredible support."

Alluding to the BAFTAs controversy, Lindo added, "It's a classic case of something that could have been very negative becoming very positive. Thank you so much for the support."

Earlier in the ceremony, *One Battle After Another* actress Regina Hall referenced the racial slur incident while saluting Lindo and his *Sinners *costar Michael B. Jordan.

"I would also like to just take a moment [for] the two kings who are in this audience and just send you so much love for your class, and that is Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo," she said, which also prompted a standing ovation for the actors.**

Ryan Coogler and Delroy Lindo at the 57th NAACP Image Awards.

Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty

Less than a week before his warm welcome at the NAACP Awards, Lindo was presenting on stage with Jordan when Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson — who attended the BAFTAs in support of *I Swear*, a film about his experience living with the condition — shouted the N-word from the audience. The room fell silent and Lindo and Jordan reacted with shock before the show continued, with the two stars powering through to present the award for Best Visual Effects.

BAFTAs host Alan Cumming later addressed the incident during the ceremony with a brief statement, though the controversy became amplified after the BBC aired the moment in full, despite the two-hour delay between the taped show and an edited broadcast becoming available to stream.

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The BBC was swiftly criticized, as the ceremony aired with other alterations and edits while that moment remained untouched. Multiple outlets reported that Warner Bros. raised immediate concerns and requested that the moment be removed from the BBC broadcast within minutes. A source told Deadline that the studio received assurances that its concerns would be passed to the BBC and producer Penny Lane TV during the recording of the ceremony.

Later that night, Lindo claimed that nobody from the British Academy of Film and Television approached him or Jordan to offer an apology or acknowledge the incident after it occurred. While speaking to *Vanity Fair* at a Warner Brothers' after-party, Lindo said he and Jordan "did what we had to do" while they were on stage, but he added that he wished "someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards."

Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo on stage at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards on Feb. 22, 2026.

Stuart Wilson/BAFTA/Getty

The Monday morning after the ceremony, the BBC removed the show from its streaming platform, iPlayer, and announced plans to re-edit and cut the moment. Several apology statements surfaced that day, including from the British Academy, which apologized "unreservedly" to Jordan and Lindo, thanking them for "their incredible dignity and professionalism."

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Davidson addressed the incident that day as well, sharing a statement that reiterated that his verbal tics and uncontrollable swearing are symptoms of Tourette's and involuntary. He stated that he was "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning."

He continued, "I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness, and understanding from others, and I will continue to do so."

*Sinners* dominated the night at the 57th NAACP Image Awards, winning 13 categories after coming in with 18 nominations. The blockbuster vampire-Western earned the top prize for Outstanding Motion Picture in addition to Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Jordan, Outstanding Supporting Actor for Lindo, Outstanding Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance for Miles Caton.

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