Delroy Lindo Describes Mindset During BAFTAs N-Word Moment

The BAFTAs addressed it, the host apologized, the NAACP Awards championed them, and many of their peers defended them, but we’ve yet to actually hear how Michael B. Jordan or Delroy Lindo actually felt the moment they heard the N-word on stage.

Now, a few weeks removed from the BBC’s major screw-up, Lindo spoke candidly about it on NPR’s Fresh Air with host Tonya Mosley, but he was hesitant at first.

“With all due respect, I’m actually not going to talk about this,” he said, with a laugh. “I’m laughing because in the intro when you said, ‘Oh, yes, we’ll be talking about what happened with BAFTA,’ I chuckled because I said, ‘No, we’re not.'”

But ultimately, he explains that he and Jordan were finally able to discuss it privately, and they shared similar sentiments.

“You have to understand, we had jobs to do. We were the first presenters of the evening,” he explained. “And we had to read that teleprompter, and we both did exactly that. Now, a couple of people who know — my wife says that I adjusted my glasses, and she said she knew when I adjusted my glasses that something was happening internally. But there was a nanosecond when I’m thinking, ‘Wait, did I just hear what I thought I heard?’

“But then, and it truly was a nanosecond, one had to read the teleprompter and get on with presenting the award,” he added. “So, you know, there was no time at all. I processed in the way that I processed in a nanosecond, Mike did similarly, and we went on and did our jobs.” 

Activist John Davidson, who has Tourette’s, shouted the N-word while he sat in the audience. It immediately started a debate over how uncontrollable Tourette’s tics actually are, with many accusing Davidson of using his diagnosis to mask his racism.

Others accepted that, but were more upset about the BBC failing to remove it from the broadcast and felt their apology wasn’t sincere enough.

See social media’s reactions to the Lindo breaking down what was going through his mind when it happened below.