BAFTA Incident Brought Familiar Dread-Like feeling To Tourette Community

2026-02-25T01:50:56Z

When the advocate Jess Thom heard about a person with Tourette’s “ticcing” the BAFTAs, she had a familiar feeling: dread.

Thom has Tourette syndrome. And the incident involving John Davidson brought to the surface many of the misunderstandings and confused reactions she has spent her life trying to fight.

“There are a lot of myths and oversimplifications about Tourette syndrome, and a global frenzy is not the best place to have a conversation about them,” the U.K.-based Thom, 45, said by Zoom from her home Monday evening as she reflected on the events. “And it’s all happening in a climate with increased hostility to disabled people, with threats to Medicaid and the ADA.”

Thom and others in the TS community say the awards show incident highlights the lack of understanding that has beset the Tourette’s community for years. Among the biggest misconceptions is over “oppositional ticcing,” which essentially involves saying the worst possible thing one can say in the room (the involuntary urge to yell “bomb” in an airport, for instance).

“People don’t understand that it’s contextual, and that part of the ticcing is saying that exact damaging thing,” Thom said. Instead, she noted, people assume this thing is being said because someone “secretly” believes it or is mindfully trying to hurt somebody. Thom founded the advocacy group Tourettes Hero, which, among other goals, seeks to help people understand TS and also fights for disability benefits on behalf of people who live with it.

The U.K. TS charity Tourette’s Action also sought to clarify this point with a statement on Monday while expressing disappointment with how the story was playing out. “[I]t is vital that the public understands a fundamental truth about Tourette syndrome: Tics are involuntary. They are not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character,” the organization said. “People with Tourette’s can say words or phrases they do not mean, do not endorse and feel great distress about afterwards. These symptoms are neurological, not intentional.”

The group continued, “The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding. What should have been a night of celebration for him became overwhelming, and he made the difficult decision to leave the ceremony halfway through. This moment reflects exactly what I Swear shows so openly: the isolation, misunderstanding and emotional weight … The price of being misunderstood is increased isolation, risk of anxiety and depression, and death by suicide.”

Another misconception lies with what the medical community terms “coprolalia,” which involves the use of obscenities or other inappropriate words and gestures, which Davidson also engaged in. Though there is a firm neurobiological basis for these actions, people can react to them, advocates say, in a way that does not fully take that into account and instead believe they have an intent to shock.

The New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams posted on social media Monday that his own experience with TS compelled him to correct misconceptions.

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