Actor Jamie Foxx has condemned the use of the n-word at the BAFTA Awards, calling the incident ‘unacceptable’ following a controversial outburst by John Davidson during Sunday’s ceremony.

The incident occurred when Davidson, known for his role in the film I Swear, which explores his experience with Tourette’s syndrome, was seen shouting the racial slur during the event. The outburst took place as Black actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, both from Sinners, were on stage.

Both the event host, Alan Cumming, and the BBC, which broadcast the ceremony, issued apologies for the ‘involuntary verbal tics’ that were audible from the audience. However, Foxx took to Instagram to question the intent behind the remarks.

“Nah, he meant that s***. Unacceptable,” Foxx wrote in response to a post from The Neighborhood about the incident. He also questioned why Davidson didn’t use the term ‘Tourette’s’ instead of the slur.

Fellow actor Wendell Pierce also criticized the apology for not addressing Jordan and Lindo directly. He wrote on social media: “It’s infuriating that the first reaction wasn’t complete and full-throated apologies to Delroy Lindo and Michael B. Jordan. The insult to them takes priority. It doesn’t matter the reasoning for the racist slur.”

Production designer Hannah Beachler, who worked on Sinners, alleged she was also subjected to a racist slur during the event. She criticized the ‘throwaway apology’ given at the end of the ceremony, writing on X: “I keep trying to write about what happened at the BAFTAs, and I can’t find the words. The situation is almost impossible, but it happened three times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show.”

She added: “And a third time at a Black woman. I understand and deeply know why this is an impossible situation. I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through. But what made the situation worse was the throwaway apology of ‘if you were offended’ at the end of the show.”

The BBC issued a second apology on Monday and announced plans to re-edit the ceremony coverage to remove the slur from their broadcast. A spokesperson said: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta film awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional.”

The broadcaster also acknowledged that the incident was not edited out prior to broadcast and will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer. However, the BBC did not explain why the slur was not edited out, despite other content, such as a joke from Cumming referencing US President Donald Trump and a comment about the Israel and Gaza conflict made by Akinola Davies Jr., being cut from the programme.

The ceremony was pre-recorded by the BBC, and while Davidson’s outburst could be heard on TV, his exact comments were not clear to viewers. Alan’s initial apology was not included in the broadcast, but a later statement was aired, in which he reiterated that Tourette’s syndrome is a disability and the tics heard during the event were involuntary.