Delroy Lindo has spoken publicly for the first time about the incident at the BAFTA Awards in which he and sinners Co-star Michael B. Jordan had a racial slur yelled at him while performing on stage.
The 73-year-old British actor addressed the controversy at the NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, where he was warmly received by the audience.
Taking the stage alongside director Ryan Coogler, Lindo said: “We appreciate, I appreciate, all the support and love that you have shown us after what happened last weekend, it means a lot to us.
He described it as an “honor” to be “among” the “people” who showed them their support.
The actor also praised the NAACP ceremony as “a room where being seen in its entirety is not unusual, but it is expected,” a comment that carried special weight given the circumstances of the previous weekend.
The incident occurred at the BAFTAs when John Davidson, a guest with Tourette syndrome, involuntarily shouted the N-word while Lindo and Jordan were on stage presenting an award.
Davidson has since said he was “deeply mortified” by what happened.
The NAACP Image Awards, hosted by actor and comedian Deon Cole and held at the 57th annual ceremony, made no effort to sidestep the elephant in the room.
Cole addressed this directly in his opening, joking, “If there are any white men here in the audience with Tourette syndrome, I advise you to tell him he can read the room tonight.”
