BAFTAs N-Word Incident Harmed Black & Disabled Viewers

“I keep trying to write about what happened at the BAFTAs, and I can’t find the words,” BAFTA nominee and Sinners production designer Hannah Beachler, posted on X after the ceremony, reported by Variety. “The situation is almost impossible, but it happened 3 times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show.. and a third time at a Black woman,” she wrote. “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 throw away apology of ‘if you were offended’ at the end of the show. Of course we were offended…but our frequency, our spiritual vibration is tuned to a higher level than what happened.. This did not bounce off of me, but I exist above it. It can’t take away from who I am as an artist.” Delroy Lindo later said at one of the BAFTA after parties that he wished “someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards” confirming both BAFTA and the BBC have shown a significant lack of planning, safeguarding and aftercare even after the incident. BAFTA’s lackluster apology during the broadcast sits alongside what appears to be a total lack of accountability for the situation all parties were placed in.