'Harry Potter' fame Ralph Fiennes finds JK Rowling being abused over trans community comments "disgusting"
Oct 26, 2022
Washington [US], October 26 : 'Harry Potter' actor Ralph Fiennes, who played the villainous role of Lord Voldemort in the massively hit movie franchise, has defended JK Rowling over her controversial stance on transgender rights.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fiennes told The New York Times Magazine that the "verbal abuse" Rowling receives online is "disgusting" and "appalling."
"I mean, I can understand a viewpoint that might be angry at what she says about women. But [she's] not some obscene, uber-right-wing fascist. It's just a woman saying, 'I'm a woman and I feel I'm a woman and I want to be able to say that I'm a woman.' And I understand where she's coming from. Even though I'm not a woman," Fiennes added.
The controversy began in June 2020 when the author of the mega-popular Harry Potter books first tweeted about an op-ed piece regarding "people who menstruate" and mocked the story for not using the word "women," reported The Hollywood Reporter.
The tweet generated backlash, which prompted the author to repeatedly and ever-more adamantly defend herself, eventually elaborating on her views in a lengthy essay.
Several of Fiennes' 'Harry Potter' castmates, including stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, as well as Eddie Redmayne, have issued statements in support of the trans community in response to the controversy.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the author's comments have also been condemned by a number of LGBTQ+ rights groups, including GLAAD, the Human Rights Coalition and The Trevor Project.
