For Black people living with Tourette syndrome, the British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards incident earlier this week where a vocal tic manifested as a racial slur while two Black stars of the movie “Sinners” were onstage has left them with complicated feelings.
“It’s been pretty difficult because I feel like there’s such a clash between both sides,” said Chloe Winston, 24, who experiences coprolalia, the same verbal tic as John Davidson, the BAFTA nominee and Tourette syndrome advocate who yelled the slur. “A tic is not intentional, but it still causes harm. And I think that does require accountability.”
Davidson's utterance just as Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the first award of that night's ceremony ignited a firestorm that overshadowed Sunday's BAFTAs. There was immediate outrage that the actors and other Black attendees were subjected to the slur. Then there was frustration from the disability community at a lack of understanding about Tourette syndrome. But anger has been loud and widespread for broadcaster BBC because of its decision to allow the racial slur to air uncensored two hours after the live event. Most live awards shows like the Oscars operate on a seconds-long tape delay.
The BAFTA and BBC apologies also were criticized as insufficient. The BBC plans to edit it out of its iPlayer streaming service.
The ordeal has compelled Black people with Tourette syndrome, from politicians to content creators, to speak out. They assert that showing empathy for those dealing with the disorder doesn't minimize the pain felt by the Black community. There needs to be acknowledgment of the harm, some have said. Others also worry that misinformation or stereotypes about Tourette syndrome could exacerbate racial profiling or discrimination for Black people who live with it.
Now, advocacy groups are using the BAFTA moment to try to grow existing support networks focused on Black people who feel isolated by Tourette syndrome.
Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary movements and/or sounds called tics, according to the Tourette Association of America. These can be motor and vocal tics. Tics can range from mild and inconsequential to moderate and severe and can even be disabling in some cases.
“We know that there’s this sort of sensory and motor loop happening. And again, similarly in the vocalizations, they typically start with things like coughing, sniffing, or other just non-specific sounds, said Dr. Jeremiah Scharf, a tic disorder specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In a majority of people, the symptoms begin to emerge during elementary school age and peak between ages 10 and 14, according to Scharf. Roughly 1.4 million people in the U.S. live with Tourette syndrome or a persistent tic disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Coprolalia is “the involuntary utterance of obscene and socially unacceptable words and phrases.” The Tourette Association of America estimates between 10%-15% of people with Tourette syndrome live with it. The organization has cautioned against making assumptions about the person based on the content of the tic.
These vocal outbursts — typically vulgarities and insults — are a biological condition that can sometimes be triggered by stress such as not enough sleep or being upset, Scharf said. The tics are hard to stop and involuntary — almost like a sneeze.
“Unfortunately, for this subset of people, it is incredibly disabling because they don’t want to say those things. It’s very distressing to them,” said Scharf, who was talking in general terms and not about the BAFTA awards incident specifically. “They feel significant remorse about it.”
Treatment for severe tic disorders can range from medication to behavioral therapies. Retraining the brain to handle tics is “takes an enormous amount of practice in terms of recognizing when the tics are coming,” Scharf said. But, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Jhónelle Bean, an American Sign Language interpreter who is Black and has Tourette syndrome, took to TikTok after seeing so much “all-or-nothing” discourse around the BAFTA awards. Her video about the “complexity and duality of the situation” has garnered over 3 million views.
“Two things can be true at the same time,” Bean said. “Just because he ticced that does not mean it was intentional. But then also that still caused hurt or harm for people that heard it, which again is why I’m mad at the BAFTAs and the BBC for keeping it in the broadcast in the first place because they had the power to take it out.”
The incident also brought up “ableism” comments that were flat-out discriminatory. They included that Davidson, the man who shouted the racial slur, “should have been locked away, he should’ve had a muzzle, things like that,” Bean said.
At the same time, Bean disagreed with some engaged in the social media discourse who said those who took offense over the N-word needed to “get over it.”
Jumaane Williams, New York City's public advocate who is Black and has Tourette syndrome, said it can be “painful both physically and mentally” to hold in a tic. As someone who has coprolalia too, Williams gives Davidson some credit for removing himself from the situation though “maybe he could have moved a little sooner.”
“For me, it was all about making sure we’re practicing care. And I don’t think that happened for the two actors that were there or the Black folks who were there or people who didn’t want to hear the word,” Williams said.
There's always going to be inherent concern if you are Black with Tourette syndrome or any tic disorder, said Reice Griffin, 20, who is a Tourette Association of America rising leader and ambassador. She has had people witness her tics and assume she uses drugs or is typically belligerent. And interacting with police can be even more stressful.
“Law enforcement is not well equipped to deal with Tourette syndrome, but also historically, as a Black person, you never really want to be around law enforcement,” Griffin said.
The association, which offers printable “I Have TS” cards, is actively trying to offer more support for people of color.
Griffin recently attended a virtual support group meeting for Black young adults, and she has been speaking at schools and to groups to become more comfortable with herself.
“I thought that because I had Tourette syndrome that, like, public speaking was out the window,” Griffin said. “If I could help another young Black girl with Tourette syndrome not feel as alone or help people get diagnosed — that’s the dream.”
Williams, the New York City public advocate, agrees there is not enough support for Black people with Tourette syndrome. He tries to help by speaking about his own life. That has led to him hearing directly from New Yorkers.
“Sometimes in the street or an event people will bring their family member up which is always a pretty emotional space for me because when I see the kid, I know what they’re going through,” Williams said.
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Tang reported from Phoenix.
FILE - Michael B. Jordan poses for photographers upon arrival at the 79th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA's, in London, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
FILE - Delroy Lindo arrives at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams delivers remarks during a protest in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration officer this morning in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy, File)
The United States and Israel launched an attack Saturday on Iran, with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital.
President Donald Trump said in a video posted on social media that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations in Iran.” He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program and plans to develop missiles to reach U.S.
Here's the latest:
Oman’s top diplomat has urged the U.S. “not to get sucked in further” to a conflict with Iran. Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi posted his comments on X hours after Israel and the U.S. launched joint strikes on Iran.
“I urge the United States not to get sucked in further. This is not your war,” he wrote.
Albusaidi was the key mediator in talks over Iran’s nuclear program seeking to avoid a U.S. attack. He said in an interview with CBS News that negotiations over a deal had made “substantial progress” in the last round talks in Geneva.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA has reported that authorities turned a major highway connecting Iran’s capital with the country’s north into a one-way route to accommodate traffic leaving Tehran.
The agency reported heavy traffic heading north out of the capital.
Iran’s top national security body had earlier told residents they should consider leaving Tehran for their safety.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its government from further threatening international peace and security.
He says Canada is clear in its position that “the Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East.” Carney is also urging Canadians in Iran to shelter in place.
The U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran is disrupting flights across the Middle East and beyond. Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar closed their airspace on Saturday. Airspace in southern Syria was also closed.
Some planes that were en route to cities like Tel Aviv and Dubai were diverted or returned to where they took off from.
The situation is changing quickly and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport. Many major airlines are canceling flights to and from parts of the region through Sunday or early next week.
Dubai’s airport operator said flights have been halted indefinitely at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international flights, and the Dubai World Central — Al Maktoum International Airport on the Gulf city’s outskirts.
Two people familiar with the operation, including a U.S. official and a person briefed on the attacks, said the targets of the Israeli strikes included members of Iran’s leadership. There was no word on whether the attacks had been successful. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified information on an ongoing operation.
Both Israel and the U.S. are striking military targets in Iran.
By Sam Mednick
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as “a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent U.N. member state.”
It demanded an immediate halt to the military campaign and a return to diplomacy.
In a statement posted to Telegram, the ministry accused Washington and Tel Aviv of “hiding behind” concerns about Iran’s nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change.
It warned the attacks risked triggering a “humanitarian, economic and possibly radiological catastrophe” in the region and accused the U.S. and Israel of “plunging the Middle East into an abyss of uncontrolled escalation.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee on Saturday morning and planned to hold calls with allies in the coming hours.
“We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict,” a U.K. government spokesperson said, reiterating Britain’s support for a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Britain was not involved in the U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The U.K.’s Foreign Office also updated its travel advice to warn against all travel to Israel and Palestine, and urged British nationals in other Middle Eastern countries to “immediately shelter in place.”
In northern Tehran, supermarkets are seeing a surge of customers seeking bread and bottled water. However, supply has been limited, and some of the items most in demand — including bread, eggs, bottled water and milk — are currently unavailable in certain stores.
Long queues have also been observed at gas stations across the city.
State television showed footage from one of Tehran’s highways, Soleimani highway, where extremely heavy traffic was visible on west-to-east routes.
By Amir Vahdat in Tehran.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday condemned what he described as “unwarranted attacks” on Iran during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It said Dar called for” an immediate halt to escalation through urgent resumption of diplomacy to achieve a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis.”
Kuwait’s national news agency says the Gulf country’s air defenses successfully repelled what it called a “heinous Iranian attack” earlier in the day.
Quoting a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the KUNA news agency said Kuwait maintains its right to defend itself.
Smoke rose from a U.S. base near the airport in Irbil, the regional capital of Iraq’s semiautonomous northern Kurdish region Saturday and an Associated Press journalist in the area heard explosions. Local media reported that missiles were shot down. There was no immediate statement from Iraqi officials or from the U.S.
Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to strike targets in the Kurdish region in case of an attack on Iran. Earlier Saturday, a drone strike targeted a headquarters of the Iran-allied Kataib Hezbollah militia southwest of Baghdad, killing two.
European Union leaders issued a joint statement Saturday calling for restraint and engaging in regional diplomacy in hopes of “ensuring nuclear safety.”
“Ensuring nuclear safety and preventing any actions that could further escalate tensions or undermine the global non-proliferation regime is of critical importance,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. “We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law."
Both said that the EU has pushed to resolve critical issues through diplomacy but also has in place “extensive sanctions in response to the actions of Iran’s murderous regime and the Revolutionary Guards.”
They said Brussels was working with the EU’s 27 member nations to support the bloc's citizens in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the Iranian assaults on the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan as a breach of their sovereignty.
The Kingdom confirmed that it fully stands by those countries and warned of the “dire consequences of continued breach of sovereignty and violating international principles."
Saudi Arabia also called on the international community to take measures to confront the Iranian assaults that are “undermining” the stability and security of the region.
Strikes on Saturday are targeting a growing list of cities and sites across Iran, according to Iranian state media. Direct strikes on the capital, Tehran, earlier sent plumes of smokes above its skyline, with reports of explosions in or near the major cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz.
Blasts were also reported in several western towns as well as around Persian Gulf port cities that are critical to Iran’s major oil trade, including Asaluyeh.
France, whose military has bases and a regular presence in the Mideast, has called on French citizens in the region to exercise extreme caution.
"A military escalation is underway ... It’s not the time for negotiations. We are in a situation of war," junior Defense Minister Alice Rufo told France-2 television Saturday, comparing the situation to the 12-day war in June.
“Our priority is the protection of our citizens and protection of our forces in the region,” she said.
Asked if French forces were involved in the U.S. and Israeli strikes or targeted in retaliatory strikes, French military spokesperson Col. Guillaume Vernet said: “The French armed forces continuously adapt their posture to threats and implement measures to ensure the surveillance and protection of military installations where French soldiers are deployed.”
He would not elaborate.
“Our military presence guarantees France’s independent assessment of the situation,” he told the AP.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has welcomed the joint U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran.
Herzog says he hopes the operation “will bring a historic change and a better future for the whole Middle East and the entire world.”
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not made a public appearance in the days before the attack and hasn’t been immediately seen after. During the 12-day war in June, he was believed to have been taken to a secure location away from his Tehran compound.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry says the military has successfully repelled the second wave of Iranian attacks that targeted several parts of the nation.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks, calling them a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty. It added that Qatar has been always among the sides calling for a dialogue with Iran.
The Foreign Ministry said that the targeting of Qatar by a neighbor “cannot be accepted under any justification or pretext” as the gas-rich Gulf nation has always distanced itself from regional conflicts.
A person briefed on the military plans says Saturday’s operation was planned by the U.S. and Israel for months and closely coordinated.
The person says the attacks are expected to continue for several days.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
By Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv.
Iran on Saturday said Israeli-U.S. airstrikes in southern Iran killed five students at a girls’ school, the first confirmed fatalities in the operation.
The state-run IRNA news agency reported the strike happened in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has a base in the city.
Neither the U.S. nor Israel has offered any details on the campaign so far.
Israel’s national rescue service MADA said one man was lightly wounded from an impact in northern Israel.
Fire and rescue services said an apartment on the 20th floor of an apartment building suffered a direct hit. It was not clear if it was struck by a missile or debris from an interception.
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says that in its retaliation against Israel and U.S. attacks on Iran, the military struck several facilities in the region.
The Revolutionary Guard said in a statement that in the first phase of retaliation, named “Truthful Promise 4,” Iran’s military struck the command of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain as well as U.S. bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and military targets in Israel.
There have been no reports of damage in these areas apart from one death in the United Arab Emirates.
The Guard said Iranian attacks with missiles and drones are continuing and more information will be released later.
Bahrain’s ambassador in the U.S. says attacks occurred against “sites within the Kingdom,” without giving further details. Writing on X, Abdalla Al-Khalifa said the attacks were a “blatant violation of sovereignty.”
Iran has apparently attacked the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain in response to U.S.-Israeli attacks in Tehran. The Bahraini diplomat said that Bahrain “reserves the right to respond” to attack on its territory.
Shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on the capital of the United Arab Emirates killed one person Saturday, authorities in Dubai said.
The state-run WAM news agency reported the fatality, the first known in the Iranian counterattack after the United States and Israel launched a major airstrike campaign targeting Iran.
Within hours of the joint U.S. and Israeli strike in Iran, Ali Vaez, who directs the Iran Project at the Crisis Group think tank, warned that the war could likely escalate.
Vaez on social media stressed that Iran had been preparing for the conflict and that wider war could break out across the Middle East.
He also stressed that the war could lead to higher energy costs, which would undercut one of Trump’s domestic political messages that gasoline prices have been lower since his return to the White House.
“Iran sits along the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes,” Vaez posted. “Even limited disruption could spike energy prices, fuel inflation, and rattle global markets.”
The European Union’s top diplomat called the conflict in the Middle East “perilous” and said she was working with Israel and Arab officials to pursue a negotiated peace.
“Iran’s regime has killed thousands. Its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, along with support for terror groups, pose a serious threat to global security,” said Kaja Kallas, foreign policy chief of the 27-nation bloc, in a post on social media.
She said the EU was evacuating some staff in the region and keeping in place a maritime mission in the Red Sea.
The EU recently put fresh sanctions on Iran and leading figures, prompting retaliatory sanctions by Tehran.
The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet command that host nation Bahrain said was targeted by a missile attack is responsible for securing the shipping lanes around the oil-rich Middle East.
Those waters include the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The region contains three key chokepoints: the Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb on either end of the Red Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to shut the strait if attacked. Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen have said they will resume attacks on shipping routes and on Israel.
The extent of the damage on the 5th Fleet headquarters wasn’t immediately clear. The base is located just to the southeast of central Manama, the island nation’s capital.
A drone strike Saturday hit a headquarters of the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq, in the Jurf al-Sakhar area southwest of Baghdad, killing at least two people and wounding four others, two militia officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
There was not immediate comment from the U.S. or Israel.
Prior to Saturday’s strikes on Iran, the group had threatened to join the fray should Iran be attacked.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said in a statement that he received a call from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in while Araghchi said Iran would target U.S. bases in the region out of self-defense.
“He clarified that these attacks were not targeting the countries involved, but were limited to military sites,” the statement said. It added that Hussein urged deescalation.
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By Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad.
In a briefing with reporters, an IDF official said Israel has identified “a sharp acceleration” in Iran’s missile program.
The official says Iran was beginning to make dozens of ballistic missiles a month. He also said there had been no significant hits in Israel. He spoke just before noon, roughly four hours after the operation began.
By Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed its armed forces had “commenced a decisive response to these hostile acts.”
In a statement, it warned the Iranian people to travel to areas not included in the zones being targeted and said the government had made “prior arrangements” to ensure the supply of basic necessities.
Schools and universities were ordered to close while the statement said banks would continue to operate.
The German government was informed in advance this morning about Israel’s military strikes on Iran, a spokesman said on Saturday.
Germany is in close consultation with its European partners, the spokesman said. Its crisis management team will meet at noon to discuss Iran.
The government urged German citizens in Iran, Israel, and the wider region to register on the official system for citizens abroad and follow the instructions of the local authorities for their own protection.
The foreign ministry said it was in “close and constant” contact with the embassies in Iran and Israel, as well as other missions in the region.
Two officials with different Iran-backed militias in Iraq told The Associated Press that a meeting took place two months ago between Iranian officials and allied Iraqi militias to make plans for a response in case Iran was attacked, including distributing tasks among the Iraqi armed groups.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
One of the officials said it was decided that the response would target U.S. forces and interests in Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region and in neighboring Jordan.
U.S. troops have vacated bases where they were previously stationed in Iraq in areas under the control of the central government in Baghdad. This followed an agreement to end the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, but U.S. forces remain in the Kurdish region.
One of the most prominent Iraqi militias, Kataib Hezbollah, on Thursday issued a public statement urging its fighters to “be prepared to engage in a war of attrition that may be prolonged and exceed the expectations of the U.S. administration.”
It also issued a warning to the Kurdish regional government in Iraq “against collaborating with hostile foreign forces” that “could threaten its security and future.”
By Qassim Abdul-Aahra in Baghdad.
Israeli media showed images of damage to an apartment building in northern Israel, reportedly from impact with parts of an interceptor.
Israeli police said shrapnel fell in multiple sites. Rescue services said there were no known injuries from the missile barrages launched on all parts of the country.
The Israeli military issued a warning for the immediate evacuation of areas near weapons production and military facilities in Iran.
“Your presence in these locations puts your lives at risk,” the military said on its Persian-language X account.
A group of men wave Iranian flags as they attend a demonstration in support of the government and against U.S. and Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(AP Photo)
Vehicles queue outside a gas station following Israeli strikes in the city, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
An incoming projectile explodes over the water as Israel issues a nationwide alert following its strikes on Iran, in Haifa Bay, northern Israel, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
