Delroy Lindo addresses BAFTA’s incident at NAACP Image Awards: ‘Something negative becoming positive’

Lindo said it was an “honor” to be amongst his people at the ceremony as Ryan Coogler also addressed the

Feb 28, 2026 0

Delroy Lindo addresses BAFTA’s incident at NAACP Image Awards: ‘Something negative becoming positive’

Lindo said it was an “honor” to be amongst his people at the ceremony as Ryan Coogler also addressed the incident while thanking the audience.

In his first public comments since last week’s controversy at the BAFTAs, Delroy Lindo thanked the audience at the NAACP Image Awards, calling it an “honor” to be present amongst “our people.”

“I’d just like to officially say, I appreciate, we appreciate all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend. It means a lot to us,” Lindo said.

He added that the moment was a “classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive.”

The BAFTAs have issued a full apology to Lindo and Michael B. Jordan after guest John Davidson, who has Tourette’s Syndrome, shouted the N-word at both men while they were presenting an award onstage. The BBC did not edit the clip out of the televised broadcast despite it being on a delay.

Ryan Coogler and Delroy Lindo receive a standing ovation at the NAACP Image Awards:

‘We appreciate all of the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend … it is an honor to be here amongst our people’ pic.twitter.com/2etg8OJfrI— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 1, 2026

Earlier in the ceremony, Deon Cole and Regina Hall both acknowledged Lindo and Jordan, while Quinta Brunson thanked the two gentlemen and the entire cast of “Sinners” during her acceptance speech.

“We see you,” she said. “We’re behind you … love you.”

The night was a banner one for the horror film. Ryan Coogler’s Academy Award nominated film won 11 awards on the evening, including Best Motion Picture, Best Actor (Jordan) and Entertainer of the Year (Jordan).

During his acceptance speech for Best Motion Picture, Coogler thanked the audience for “wrapping their arms” around the film.

“Since our people been here over four centuries, there’s always been a lot of lies told about us. A lie, no matter how powerful the person saying it is, it’s still a lie,” Coogler told the audience. “The truth, no matter how little power the person that’s saying the truth is still the truth. Y’all are loved, y’all are beautiful, and y’all are powerful and mighty.”