NEWS'SNL' Slammed Over 'Horrific' Tourette Syndrome Sketch Following BAFTA Slur Incident: 'Shameful'
The show is under fire for a skit that made fun of people with Tourette syndrome.
March 2 2026, Published 3:57 p.m. ET
Saturday Night Live is facing backlash over a sketch that mocked the recent BAFTAs slur incident.
The segment, which aired Feb. 28, attempted to make light of John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome (TS), involuntarily shouting the N-word while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award at the February 22 ceremony.
It depicted SNL cast members as disgraced celebrities, including J.K. Rowling, Mel Gibson, Armie Hammer, Bill Cosby and Kanye West, blaming their past controversies on Tourette syndrome.
A leading Tourette syndrome charity condemned the sketch.
The skit depicted 'SNL' cast members as disgraced celebrities blaming their past controversies on Tourette syndrome.
Andrew Dismukes kicked off the mock public service announcement dressed as Gibson.
"I probably should have pointed out decades ago, I too suffer from Tourette’s, which explains a lot of the things I’ve said or yelled through the years," he said. "Fortunately, I’m not alone."
Meanwhile, Ashley Padilla, who played Rowling, later added, "Now you know it was all the Tourette’s fault."
Portraying Hammer, the episode's host Connor Storrie, said, "Not a lot of people know this, but one of the most common side effects is cannibalism."
'This Is Not Acceptable'
'Mocking a disability is never acceptable,' said Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally.
In a statement published by Deadline on March 2, Tourettes Action CEO Emma McNally condemned the skit.
"This is not acceptable," she said. "Mocking a disability is never acceptable. It would not be tolerated for any other condition, and it should not be tolerated by people with Tourette’s."
"The trolling and harassment members of our community have endured in the past few days has been horrific," she continued. "People have been targeted with threats and humiliation simply for having a condition they did not choose. No one should ever be treated that way."
'This Is Honestly Gross'
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'Heated Rivalry' star Connor Storrie portrayed Armie Hammer.
Others online have criticized the sketch, with British journalist Lewis Goodall calling it "genuinely shameful."
"The joke is basically nothing more sophisticated than ‘people with serious disabilities make it up,'" he wrote on X. "Whole thing deserves to become infamous."
The Independent’s Washington Bureau Chief Eric Michael Garcia added, "This is honestly gross and punching down in the worst possible way."
John Davidson's Life With Tourette's Inspired the BAFTA-Nominated Film 'I Swear'
John Davidson's life inspired the BAFTA-nominated film 'I Swear.'
Davidson, 54, attended the U.K. awards show as the film I Swear based on his experience living with the neurological condition was nominated.
A stage manager introduced Davidson to the audience ahead of the ceremony, and warned guests that they might hear "involuntary noises or movements," according to Variety.
According to the National Institute of Health, Tourette's can cause "sudden unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics."
'I Felt a Wave of Shame'
John Davidson explained that he not racist.
The Scottish advocate said in a statement after shouting the racial slur, "I felt a wave of shame and embarrassment hit me all at once."
"Tourette’s can make my body or voice do things I don't mean, and sometimes those tics land on the worst possible words," he explained. "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."
