Baylen Out Loud star Baylen Dupree released a statement about the incident in which John Davidson‘s Tourette’s tic came out in the form of a racial slur at the BAFTA Awards.
John – a disability activist – was defended by Baylen, who also has Tourette’s Syndrome. She felt she needed to say something as a person who deals with verbal tics as well.
Baylen gave insight into the neurological disorder:
According to the reality tv personality, John’s tics don’t necessarily reflect his true feelings. Verbal tics are not thoughts, opinions, or beliefs hidden deep beneath the surface. Instead, they are involuntary impulses, similar to a hiccup or a sneeze.
Baylen says tics don’t usually come from places of hate. But, instead, it’s fear or anxiety. The brain simply misfires.
The TLC star makes it clear that history matters and words have meaning. But, Baylen continued, reminded her followers that neurological reality exists. People with Tourette’s are constantly apologizing for words they don’t mean.
John Davidson condemned the racial slur he ticked at the BAFTAs:
John Davidson, who has lived with the nervous system condition Tourette Syndrome for almost 40 years, felt “shame and embarrassment” when his “tics ramped up” at the Awards.
“Tourette’s can make my body or voice do things I don’t mean, and sometimes those tics land on the worst possible words,” John wrote. “I want to be really clear that the intent behind them is zero. What you’re hearing is a symptom — not my character, not my thought, not my belief.”
Describing his tics as an “involuntary neurological misfire,” John opened up about initially experiencing symptoms that manifested as “noises and movements,” but “the more nervous I got, the more my tics ramped up.”
He continued, “When my coprolalia tics came out, my stomach just dropped. As always, I felt a wave of shame and embarrassment hit me all at once.” John explained that “the most offensive word that I ticked at the ceremony is a word I would never use and would completely condemn if I did not have Tourette’s.”
