Overview
- Saturday Night Live posted a cut-for-time, PSA-style sketch online that depicts celebrities such as Mel Gibson, J.K. Rowling, Bill Cosby and Kanye West blaming past behavior on Tourette syndrome.
- Tourette’s Action CEO Emma McNally called the video unacceptable, saying it mocks a disability and deepens fear, isolation and online trolling for people with Tourette’s.
- The clip drew widespread criticism on social media for “punching down” and implying people fabricate the condition, with some noting a lack of understanding about involuntary tics.
- BAFTAs host Alan Cumming issued a public apology, describing the ceremony as a “trauma triggering shitshow” and saying choices to air slurs and censor a speech let people down.
- The BBC and BAFTA have apologized for broadcasting the racial slur from the Feb. 22 ceremony, with the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit conducting a fast-tracked investigation and BAFTA running a comprehensive review.