Ralph Fiennes Defends J.K. Rowling & Calls Backlash Against The Author’s Transphobic Comments “Disturbing”

Though J.K. Rowling has been beloved by fans for decades now, as her “Harry Potter” book series became some of the biggest hits in history, the past couple of years haven’t been so great for the author. This is because her comments on social media have sparked a fair amount of outrage as people call out her transphobic viewpoints. And even though there are many associated with the ‘Harry Potter’ films that have stood against Rowling’s comments, she does have one defender—Voldemort.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, ‘Harry Potter’ actor Ralph Fiennes, who portrays the villainous Voldemort in the film series, came to Rowling’s defense when asked about the outrage against the author. Again, it should be noted that over various tweets, the author has explicitly stated viewpoints that are seen as transphobic and harmful, which led to a lot of people speaking up against Rowling.

“I can’t understand the vitriol directed at her,” Fiennes said. “I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational. I find the level of hatred that people express about views that differ from theirs, and the violence of language towards others, disturbing.”

This comment stands in stark contrast to words from actors such as Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and others, who have come out to fully support the trans community and speak out against Rowling’s comments. Of course, it should also be noted that the actors have stopped well short of actually calling out Rowling or condemning the author specifically. Instead, folks have been focusing more on showing their support of the trans community.

It’ll definitely be interesting to see how WarnerMedia and the fan community deals with this divisive issue when a new ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film is expected to arrive next year. Or when the ‘Harry Potter’ spinoff series that is reportedly in development hits HBO Max at some point in the future. We’ll just have to wait and see.