SNL Faces Intense Backlash for Controversial Tourette's Sketch
Saturday Night Live is under fire for a controversial sketch that mocked a Tourette's syndrome incident at the recent Bafta Film Awards, with critics branding it "shameful" and "gross." The sketch, which was edited out of the live broadcast due to time constraints but released online, has sparked widespread condemnation from viewers and disability advocates alike.
The Baftas Incident That Inspired the Sketch
Last month, Scottish campaigner John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, involuntarily shouted a racial slur during the Bafta Film Awards while actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were presenting an award. The BBC broadcast the pre-recorded moment, which had occurred two hours earlier, sparking significant debate. Davidson, whose life inspired the film I Swear, expressed being "upset and distraught" by the situation, noting he was allegedly told any offensive involuntary tics would be edited out.
Following the event, both the BBC and Bafta issued apologies. A BBC spokesperson stated that the language arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome and was not intentional, while Bafta announced a "comprehensive review" and took "full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation."
SNL's Controversial Take on the Subject
In the sketch, which aired during an episode hosted by Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie, SNL cast members portrayed controversial celebrities—including Mel Gibson, J.K. Rowling, Bill Cosby, and Kanye West—who all inexplicably claimed Tourette's was to blame for their problematic behavior. Andrew Dismukes, playing Gibson, said, "I'm Mel Gibson, and as I probably should have pointed out decades ago, I too suffer from Tourette's, which explains a lot of the things I've said or yelled through the years." Gibson has previously made racist, anti-semitic, and homophobic comments for which he has apologized.
Ashley Padilla, as Rowling, stated, "Tourette's isn't just blurting out an offensive word. It can be years-long obsession with something like trans life and a deep anger that someone who was born with a wand in their pants would want that one removed and replaced with a Horcrux." Rowling has faced backlash for her remarks on the transgender community. Kenan Thompson, playing Cosby—accused of sexual misconduct by over 60 women—said he suffers from "something called the drink Tourette's," while rapper West claimed to have "three different kinds of Tourette's."
The sketch featured a fake PSA "brought to you by National Workforce of Rethinking Disabilities, or N.W.O.R.D.," a direct reference to Davidson's involuntary tic.
Widespread Condemnation from Viewers and Critics
Lewis Goodall, host of The News Agents podcast, condemned the sketch as "genuinely shameful," writing on X/Twitter, "The joke is basically nothing more sophisticated than 'people with serious disabilities make it up.' That's before they compare a disabled man, mocked his entire life, to Bill Cosby. Whole thing deserves to become infamous."
Eric Michael Garcia, The Independent's DC bureau chief, added, "This is honestly gross and punching down in the worst possible way. And ironically, it proves the necessity for the work people like John Davidson do to erase stigma around Tourette's." Another viewer commented, "This is poor. The implicit premise is that people with Tourette's are just using it as an excuse. That's literally the error of perception the film was trying to correct. Shameful."
Many expressed disappointment, with one viewer posting, "I love SNL and I'm so disappointed. How can people truly lack that amount of knowledge, compassion and understanding? I really hope John Davidson never ever sees this."
Defenders and the Overwhelming Consensus
Some defenders argued the sketch was satirizing celebrities for using Tourette's as an excuse for their behavior, but the overwhelming consensus is that it makes a mockery of a serious subject. Davidson suffers from coprolalia, a version of Tourette's involving involuntary cursing or inappropriate remarks, and was left "mortified" by the Baftas incident. During the event, he chose to leave the auditorium after realizing Lindo and Jordan had heard his tic from the stage.
The Independent has contacted NBC for comment, but as of now, SNL has not publicly responded to the backlash. The sketch continues to fuel debate about comedy boundaries and disability representation in media.
