Featuring: Jamie Foxx
Where: Los Angeles, California, United States
When: 05 Jan 2017
Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com
Actor/comedian Jamie Foxx responded to a Tourette’s sufferer who shouted the n-word during the British Academy Film Awards in London, England on Sunday, Feb. 22.
BAFTA nominee John Davidson shouted a racial slur while “Sinners” costars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award.
Davidson later blamed his Tourette’s diagnosis for his outburst, but he didn’t apologize to Jordan or Lindo.
Jamie Foxx is among those who don’t believe the excuse that Tourette’s caused Davidson to shout racist language multiple times on Sunday.
“Nah he meant that sh-t. Unacceptable,” Foxx wrote on X.
X users criticized Foxx and said he should educate himself on Tourette’s and its comorbidity coprolalia, which causes sufferers to shout profanities.
Tourette syndrome, or Tourette’s, is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary verbal outbursts and tics (involuntary movements).
Davidson continued to shout offensive words including “Boring!”, “Bullshit!”, “F–k you!” and “Shut the f–k up!” during remarks by BAFTA chair Sara Putt.
The BBC, which aired the show with a 2-hour delay, was also criticized for not editing the n-word out of the final broadcast.
“They’re appears to be a lot of excuses for unacceptable behavior.”
Actor Robert Aramayo told the BBC: “They’re tics, he [Davidson] is ticking, and we have to understand that the way we perceive Tourette’s is a joint responsibility. It’s not shouting obscenities, it’s not being abusive, it’s Tourette’s and they’re tics.”
MSN readers sided with Jamie Foxx.
One person wrote: “The question is why ‘that’ word was in the mind of the host? Foul language from a Tourette’s sufferer is coming from their mind. While they are involuntarily saying these things, the source is in their mind to begin. Which is why children with this affliction don’t really use foul language if they haven’t been exposed to it.”
Others noted Tourette’s causes uncontrollable tics, not the content of the tics.
Another person wrote: “Tourette’s diminishes the ability to control what you say, not what you think. So, if you say it, then you had to have thought it.”
A third person commented: “Why does the dialogue mainly go into the vulgar or obscene? Why not ‘love you’ or ‘be happy’? Asking for a friend because in today’s world, there appears to be a lot of excuses for what most would deem unacceptable behaviors.”
A fourth reader commented: “I’m with Fox. Funny how he didn’t uncontrollably shout ‘tree!’ or ‘lamp’ or ‘man’…this is total bs, and Davidson’s defenders don’t want to admit it. And a mental condition of any kind doesn’t mean one is always blameless, or free of malice.”
