AceShowbiz - Jayme Lawson, star of Sinners, openly condemned both BAFTA and the BBC for their response to a racial slur incident during the recent BAFTA Awards ceremony. Speaking at the NAACP Image Awards, she expressed deep frustration over how the situation was handled and the impact it had on those involved.

Lawson directed her criticism toward the awards organizations for allowing the use of a highly offensive racial slur to be broadcast. The incident involved Tourette’s syndrome activist John Davidson, who involuntarily shouted the N-word as a vocal tic while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, stars of Sinners, were presenting onstage. Despite immediate calls from Warner Bros. to remove the footage, the slur remained in the televised broadcast.

On the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards, Lawson detailed how a series of failures led to the incident being aired and the subsequent fallout. New information revealed that producers claimed they did not hear Davidson’s exclamation before it aired, while Davidson himself questioned why BAFTA placed him so close to a microphone, knowing his condition.

Adding to the controversy, Lindo stated that neither he nor Jordan were contacted by BAFTA officials after the incident, leaving them without institutional support or acknowledgment following the distressing event.

Lawson described the situation as a glaring example of institutional misunderstanding about inclusion and respect. She said, "Just because you invite someone into a space, but you don’t provide the necessary resources to keep them and everyone else safe, that’s not inclusivity. That’s exploitation." She emphasized that Davidson’s disability was exploited during the ceremony, which resulted in multiple offenses, placing responsibility squarely on BAFTA.

She also criticized the BBC for their decision to air the offensive content, pointing out the network’s selective censorship. For instance, the BBC censored a speech by Akinola Davies Jr., director of My Father’s Shadow, where he called for a "free Palestine," but did not exercise the same caution with the slur’s broadcast.

Lawson highlighted this inconsistency, calling the BBC’s airing of the slur “careless” and a demonstration of a lack of regard for the dignity of the two Black men involved. She said the BBC clearly knows how to control their content when it matters to them but failed in this instance.

Despite the turmoil, Lawson praised Lindo and Jordan for their poise and strength throughout the ordeal. She noted that Lindo received a standing ovation when he appeared onstage at the NAACP Image Awards, underscoring the respect and admiration they have garnered for how they managed the situation.

She concluded by urging continued recognition of their grace and dignity during the controversy, commending everyone involved in Sinners and their team for maintaining professionalism under difficult circumstances.