Taboo tics like shouting curses and slurs are uncommon in Tourette syndrome − but people who have them suffer harsh social stigma

Tourette's tics can include obscenities and slurs. These taboo words are emotionally charged and socially significant, so they tend to be more strongly encoded in the brain’s wiring. Dominic Lipinski/Stringer via Getty Images

John Davidson, whose life inspired the award-winning biopic “I Swear,” involuntarily shouted a racial slur during Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo’s speech at the BAFTA film awards in London on Feb. 22, 2026. The moment went viral, and the ensuing backlash ignited public debate about Tourette syndrome and its most shocking symptom.

Davidson has been a familiar figure to British audiences since his teenage years, when he first appeared in a BBC documentary about Tourette syndrome. He has since devoted decades to public education about the condition, earning him a distinguished honor from Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.