SNL's biting sketch uses the BAFTA controversy to satirize celebrities like J.K. Rowling and Mel Gibson, who blame offensive behavior on Tourette syndrome.
- March 22, 2026
AceShowbiz - Saturday Night Live tackled the recent BAFTA controversy with a biting sketch featuring several infamous celebrities attributing their problematic behavior to Tourette syndrome.
The sketch was inspired by an incident at the BAFTA awards where attendee John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, experienced involuntary outbursts that included a racial slur during a presentation by Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindon. Davidson later issued a public apology for the incident.
In the SNL skit, cast members impersonated a range of disgraced figures such as J.K. Rowling, Mel Gibson, Armie Hammer, Louis C.K., and Bill Cosby. Each character humorously claimed that their offensive remarks or actions could be explained by having Tourette’s.
Playing Mel Gibson, Andrew Dismukes quipped, "I too suffer from Tourette's, which explains a lot of the things I've said or yelled through the years. Am I proud of what I said? No. But I am very proud for you to know that it was because of Tourette's. Unfortunately, I'm not alone."
Host Connor Storie, impersonating Armie Hammer, joked, "Hi cuties, I'm Armie Hammer, and not many people know this, but one of the most common side effects of Tourette's is cannibalism. You could be casually DMing with a girl, and suddenly, the Tourette's takes over, and you're typing stuff like, 'I'm literally going to eat you,' and she's like, 'Lol, what?'"
Ashley Padilla portrayed J.K. Rowling delivering a satirical line: "Tourette's isn't just blurting out an offensive word; it can be a years-long obsession with something like trans rights, and a deep anger that someone who is born with a wand in their pants would want that wand removed and replaced with a Horcrux. But now you know, it was all the Tourette's fault, and not a bet I made with Bill Belichick to see who could destroy their legacy faster."
The sketch cleverly used humor to highlight how some celebrities might try to deflect responsibility for their actions by blaming a medical condition, reflecting ongoing conversations about accountability and public behavior.
