Delroy Lindo's Immediate Reaction to Baftas Racial Slur Revealed
Delroy Lindo has disclosed the fleeting thought that crossed his mind during the controversial racial slur incident at the Baftas ceremony last month. The 73-year-old actor, who stars in the film Sinners, described his response as lasting merely a "nanosecond" as he and co-presenter Michael B Jordan faced the unexpected disruption.
The Moment of the Incident
During the film awards ceremony, Lindo and Jordan were presenting an award when audience member John Davidson, a Tourette's campaigner whose life inspired the film I Swear, experienced a tic that caused him to shout a racial slur from his seat. Lindo revealed that his immediate internal reaction was: "Wait, did I just hear what I thought I heard?"
In an interview with Fresh Air, Lindo was initially hesitant to discuss the subject at length, stating: "With all due respect, I'm actually not going to talk about this. 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.'"
Professionalism Under Pressure
The actor emphasized that he and Jordan had responsibilities to fulfill despite the shocking moment. "You have to understand, we had jobs to do," Lindo explained. "We were the first presenters of the evening, and we had to read that teleprompter, and we both did exactly that."
Lindo noted that his wife detected something was amiss when she observed him adjusting his glasses during the incident. "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," he shared.
The actor described how quickly he dismissed the concern from his mind: "It truly was a nanosecond. One had to read the teleprompter and get on with presenting the award. So, you know, there was no time at all."
Aftermath and Responses
Lindo added that he only spoke with Jordan about the subject recently, confirming they both processed the incident similarly and continued with their duties. The BBC has faced significant criticism for failing to edit out the slur from the televised broadcast, despite a two-hour delay between the live ceremony and the transmission.
Bafta initially did not contact Lindo and Jordan following the incident but later issued an apology statement. The organization expressed "unreserved" apologies to both actors and all those affected, thanking them for their "incredible dignity and professionalism."
John Davidson's Perspective
Davidson, who has coprolalia – a type of Tourette's that causes involuntary cursing or socially inappropriate remarks – has spoken about feeling "upset and distraught" after the incident. He claimed he had been assured beforehand that offensive involuntary tics would be removed from the broadcast.
"I have made four documentaries with the BBC in the past, and feel that they should have been aware of what to expect from Tourette's and worked harder to prevent anything that I said... from being included in the broadcast," Davidson stated.
He also questioned the placement of a microphone near his seat, noting: "With hindsight I have to question whether this was wise, so close to where I was seated, knowing I would tic."
Support and Moving Forward
At the NAACP Image Awards earlier this month, Lindo acknowledged the widespread support he and Jordan received. "I'd just like to officially say, we appreciate all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend. It means a lot to us," the Oscar-nominated actor said.
He added: "It is an honour to be here amongst our people this evening, amongst so many people who have shown us such incredible support. And it's a classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive."
Bafta has taken "full responsibility" for the incident, while the BBC has fast-tracked an internal investigation into what it describes as a "serious mistake." Lindo, whose extensive film career includes roles in Get Shorty, The Cider House Rules, and Spike Lee collaborations such as Malcolm X and Da 5 Bloods, continues to focus on his work as the Oscars approach on 15 March.
