Tourette's Campaigner John Davidson Defended by Family Amid BAFTA N-Word Controversy
The family and friends of Tourette's campaigner John Davidson have rallied around him as he remains at the centre of a global BAFTA awards storm, insisting attacks on him are completely unfair and that the BBC bears responsibility for broadcasting the incident.
Davidson, 54, was heard shouting the offensive racial slur while black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting an award at London's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday night. The outburst was audible during BBC1's initial broadcast of the prestigious ceremony before being removed in later transmissions.
Apologies Issued Amid Growing Controversy
Both BAFTA host Alan Cumming and the BBC have issued apologies following the incident, with Davidson himself expressing deep mortification over what occurred. The campaigner made the decision to leave the ceremony halfway through after experiencing a series of involuntary outbursts, yet still found himself subject to intense criticism in the aftermath.
Today, many of those closest to Davidson in the Scottish border town of Galashiels, where he grew up and still resides, have insisted he bears no blame for what happened.
Lifelong Friend Speaks Out in Defence
John's lifelong friend and former girlfriend, Susan Gibson, provided a passionate defence of the campaigner. 'With his Tourette's, it is totally involuntary,' she explained. 'He will come out and shout things that you are not meant to say. I have had John in my life for many a year and I think this has taken the light away from the many achievements that he has already had.'
Gibson continued: 'For someone to make this about the N word is wrong. Yes, of course it is not a nice word. I think it has been taken out of proportion and the BBC should hold themselves responsible for their role in this. It should have been taken out before it went out on the air and this situation would not have been as bad for John.'
Family Support and Wider Impact
John's sister, Sylvia McGill, added her support both for her brother and for actor Robert Aramayo, who won the Best Actor award for portraying Davidson in the film 'I Swear.' 'It is raw for John and raw for all of us,' she said. 'It has also taken away from Robert slightly and he deserved it to be about him that night.'
Gibson elaborated on the challenges of living with Tourette's syndrome: 'When you have Tourette's it is in your thought process to think, "I should not say that," and you know you should not say that but you cannot help it. We thought everyone understood that, we hoped people understood his condition.'
The Psychology of Suppression and Release
The former girlfriend explained the likely mechanism behind the incident: 'For him to go to London, to the BAFTAs, would have meant he needed to stack up all his tics and then he would have had an outburst. He will have suppressed them for so long, and then you just explode. It was just at the wrong time when he said that when the cameras were rolling, and it's so sad that it has been taken this way.'
Gibson expressed concern about the impact on Davidson's mental state: 'John will be distraught. He will think everything he has done for years, the speeches, the conventions he has attended, will be a waste of time because he has said the wrong word at the wrong time.'
History of Misunderstanding and Violence
She revealed a disturbing past incident that illustrates the dangers Davidson has faced due to his condition: 'I recall a time once when John was beaten up for calling someone a slut. The girl wasn't a slut, he knew that, but he couldn't help what he had said, and he was beaten up so badly that he ended up in hospital.'
'He has suffered so much from people not understanding his condition and we thought that was changing and here we are again in the middle of this business,' Gibson added. 'I feel so sad for him but people here in this town will always back him. He knows he has the closest family and friends around him.'
Community Support in Galashiels
One near neighbour of Davidson's told the Daily Mail: 'Everyone in this town knows and supports John, he's a pure hero to everyone here and we know he's a man with a good heart full of kindness.'
Davidson's Public Profile and Advocacy Work
Davidson first became prominent following the documentary 'John's Not Mad' in 1989 and now faces fresh scrutiny after shouting racial slurs at an awards showcase. He had previously prompted a bomb scare at Buckingham Palace due to his condition.
The campaigner returned to public consciousness in last year's movie 'I Swear,' in which he was portrayed by Robert Aramayo, who won the BAFTA for Best Actor on Sunday in a surprise victory over rival contenders Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Davidson was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome in his childhood when little was known about the condition and has since dedicated his life to raising awareness. Yet his presence at the showpiece ceremony in central London has provoked criticism as he was accused of racism, with the BBC also facing condemnation for broadcasting the incident.
