Black Bafta judge who quit over N-word incident accuses academy of "disrespecting Black people" and "endangering vulnerable communities"
Jonte Richardson says he hoped to create “real inclusion” after years of campaigning for change along with former member Sabra Williams who says that the Bafta’s apology failed to mention race
The Source Exclusive: Black Bafta judge who quit over N-word incident accuses academy of “disrespecting Black people” and “endangering vulnerable communities”
Jonte Richardson claims that the organisation has had a “long history’ of dismissing Black talent and that a senior leader told him in 2015 that they ‘didn’t even know the ethnicity’ of critically acclaimed filmmaker F. Gary Gray who had directed 1995 cult classic Friday, The Italian Job in 2003 and Law Abiding Citizen in 2009.
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
MARCH 10, 2026 UPDATED 21.01
A Bafta judge who quit over the handling of an incident at this year’s award ceremony where the N-word was involuntarily shouted by a Tourette’s campaigner at two award-winning Black actors has accused the academy of “continuing to disrespect Black people” and “endangering vulnerable communities.”
Speaking for the first time since posting the reasons he felt “compelled” to leave on LinkedIn, executive producer Jonte Richardson revealed to The Source that this is the second instance where he has stepped away from the arts charity after giving up his membership of nearly a decade in 2019 over what he claims was “systemic racism.”
The former Bafta member claims that the organisation has had a “long history” of “dismissing” Black talent and that at one point, a senior leader told him they ‘didn’t even know the ethnicity’ of critically acclaimed director F. Gary Gray in response to a complaint that Jonte had written to the organisation accusing them of “racial ignorance.”
The co-director of the production company Blaklight Media who has worked on the BET and the NAACP awards says that although he was no longer a Bafta member, he offered advice to the academy on how they could improve diversity and inclusion after calls for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in 2020.
At the end of 2025, he agreed to judge emerging talent at the upcoming Bafta TV Craft Awards after feeling “conflicted but obliged” to help new people in the industry.
But following the N-word incident at the 2026 Bafta Film Awards, the former musician has accused the arts charity of “continuing to disrespect Black people” as well as failing to show a “duty of care” towards Sinner’s actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo who were both presenting an award on stage when they heard the N-word shouted in an involuntary Tourette’s outburst by campaigner John Davidson.
After the ceremony, British-born actor Delroy Lindo went on to tell Variety that he wished ‘someone from Bafta spoke to him afterward.’
Now, since stepping down as a Bafta jury member, Jonte who has received a torrent of racist abuse after posting his leaving statement on social media says that the organisation has not reached out to him following his departure, even though he hoped to find solutions and create “real inclusion” after years of campaigning for change.
Speaking exclusively to The Source, Jonte said: “Bafta hasn’t reached out to me. They haven’t contacted me. It’s not as if I’m unknown in this space. They know who I am. They know where I am.
“We fought for years to try and get them to be the tiniest bit more inclusive. What’s so sad is that if Bafta had been inclusive, this would never have happened.
“I would 100 percent bet that there were no senior members of colour in any of those teams. That there were no disabled producers on that show.
“If it was inclusive, the safeguards would have been put in place naturally.”
The executive producer says that Black people aren’t protected in the same way as other communities by the TV and film industry and that it was “beggars belief” to hear a deep-rooted racial slur aired without forewarning at a time when there is a surge in racist abuse and attacks in the UK.
Jonte said: “I’m angered that we were subjected to it. I angered that the Black community was subjected to it. I’m angered the disabled community and the intersecting community was subjected to that. Just purely because of incompetence.
“The way that it was allowed to go out. I can’t be party to that on a personal level.
“It’s heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
While based at Bafta’s Los Angeles branch, Jonte says he felt “ignored” after making a complaint.
In emails seen by The Source, the executive producer wrote to Bafta following an LA screening of the film Straight Outta Compton in 2015, stating how he felt there was “racial ignorance” shown when a senior Bafta leader made a speech in which they remarked on director F. Gary Gray’s surname.
In an email responding to Jonte’s complaint, the senior member described the remark they made as a “silly line about a typo” as the director’s surname had “the same letters in the first and last name.” They went on to write that they “didn’t even know” the ethnic background of F. Gary Gray who at that point had directed the 1995 cult classic Friday, Set It Off in 1996, The Italian Job in 2003 and Law Abiding Citizen in 2009.
The senior leader then apologised by writing that the whole situation was “totally unintentional in every way.”
However, Jonte says that he felt his concerns were “negated” and that the director should have been shown the same respect as any other filmmaker.
Jonte said: “You wouldn’t say that about Christopher Nolan or Steven Spielberg. It was the dismissive nature of Bafta when it comes to race. It’s been an overall attitude towards Black people in the industry.”
Years after the incident, at the 2018 Bafta screening of Black Panther, Jonte says the lack of diversity was visibly evident as he was one of four Black people at the event before the cast and crew showed up.
As well as Jonte, actress and former Bafta member of 18 years, Sabra Williams BEM says she volunteered to host Q&As for the academy and that she was the only interviewer who was a woman of colour.
Sabra says she ended her membership in 2021 after raising concerns over the lack of diversity in the acting and directing categories which Bafta then said they would review in 2020.
But, following the fallout from this year’s award ceremony, the former Bafta member who is now the founder of The Actors’ Gang Prison Project which provides theatre arts programming in prisons says that she was also “disappointed” in the way the academy handled the aftermath, and that the organisation’s apology which came nearly a day after the show aired, failed to address race.
Sabra said: “I see a lot of red flags in this experience that happened that I feel could have come from what seems to remain unchanged in the nexus of power.
“The fact that the people who had harm done to them were not centred is the part that’s not surprising [about the apology].
“I think [race] should have been mentioned because race was mentioned. That’s what happens when we say the N-word. Race has been mentioned.
“I suspect that the way that the whole fallout happened was because of who is at the centre of power in that situation. They thought it was adequate.”
According to the Bafta website, their current Board of Trustees only has one Black member.
Following the award ceremony, Bafta released a statement nearly 24 hours later apologising after guests heard “very offensive language.”
Now, after an investigation by the BBC, the broadcaster says that the failure to edit out the N-word was a “genuine mistake” and that the team editing the ceremony footage had not heard the slur. The BBC added that a second racial slur was removed from the broadcast.
In a letter sent to members, Bafta says it informed the audience of John Davidson’s involuntary tics.
But, Jonte who has worked in the film and TV industry for decades says that Black actors are ‘never given the chance to protect themselves’ and that the handling of the event and the incident was “absolutely unforgivable.”
Since the BBC announced its findings, Jonte says a closed-door meeting was held among senior Black British TV and film executives where they discussed the handling of the incident.
He said: “I think for Black folks, we’re at the bottom of the list especially in the UK. I think that the fact that [Bafta] endangered two incredibly vulnerable communities, especially in this current climate, is absolutely unforgivable.
“The carelessness that has to be achieved for that to happen in this climate beggars belief.
“I would have given the Black presenters a choice on whether they wanted to present or not. I think that’s one of the issues that I really struggle with, is that we are never, ever given a choice to protect ourselves in those situations.”
Bafta is made up of professionals and creatives from the film and television industry who convene to vote on awards, network and mentor new talent.
To be a part of the arts charity, members must pay a £600/$300 annual membership fee to join.
In the academy’s mission statement, it says its works to “empower and advocate for creative talent at all stages of their careers.”
However, the arts charity has faced backlash over race in 2020 when the lack of diversity at their awards show was put under the spotlight as every nominee for the main acting awards was white.
During the ceremony, actor Joaquin Phoenix slammed the organisation on stage saying that “we send a very clear message to people of colour that you’re not welcome here.”
Now, following the N-word incident, Jonte says he wonders what the future of Bafta will be and if anyone will be held accountable.
Overall, the executive producer says that if it had been him who made the mistake, he believes he would have been fired.
When approached for comment, Bafta said it is conducting a review into what happened and has apologised in their statement and letter to members.
When asked why Jonte had not been approached, however, they did not provide a comment.
The BBC said it had nothing to add beyond their existing comments.
*This story has been updated to correct the reference to Variety instead of Vanity Fair.