“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has made lots of enemies thanks to comments she’s made about transgender issues. Former fans turned on the best-selling author, resorting to everything from public shaming to more sinister threats. Even the actors who played her iconic “Harry Potter” characters in the movies refused to defend Rowling’s statements.
Most recently, English actor Rupert Grint expanded on his feelings about the controversy during a conversation with the U.K.’s Sunday Times. The actor, who portrayed Ron Weasley in the films, talked about how he considers Rowling an “auntie” with backward views he disagrees with.
“I liken J.K. Rowling to an auntie,” Grint said of Rowling. ”I don’t necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie. It’s a tricky one.”
The drama with Rowling and the trans community exploded in 2020 when she used her huge platform to mock the descriptor, “people who menstruate” in place of the word “women.”
“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate,” she tweeted in response to a Devex article.
Ever since, Rowling has been deemed a “TERF,” which stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” While the billionaire author has very leftist views and has expressed her empathy and support for the trans community, she is still being vilified for not agreeing to budge on the actual definition of womanhood.
“I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans,” Rowling tweeted in 2020. “At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
Meanwhile, the rest of the “Harry Potter” cast immediately put out statements denouncing Rowling’s views. Grint was adamant that the “Harry Potter” creator had it all wrong.
“I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers,” Grint said in a statement. “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”
In a later interview with Esquire, Grint discussed his reasoning for speaking out against Rowling, who he considered a mentor, Mediaite reported.
“I am hugely grateful (for) everything that she’s done. I think that she’s extremely talented, and I mean, clearly, her works are genius,” he said. “But yeah, I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that.”
“I think to stay silent would have spoke,” he continued. “Sometimes, silence is even louder. I felt like I had to because I think it was important to.”
Rowling was included in a recent “Harry Potter” 20-year anniversary special on HBO Max but only had about 30 seconds of screen time despite being the creator of the series. She’s still considered “canceled” by most standards but has not apologized for being critical of the trans agenda.