Ralph Fiennes Calls 'Verbal Abuse' Directed at J.K. Rowling 'Disgusting' and 'Appalling'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Dia Dipasupil/Getty ImagesHarry PotteractorRalph Fienneshas come toJ.K. Rowling’s defense again.In a new interview with theNew York Timespublished Saturday, the 59-year-old actor, who plays Tom Riddle / Lord Voldemort in the final fiveHarry Potterfilms, said the “verbal abuse directed at [Rowling] is disgusting, it’s appalling,” in reaction to continued controversy thePotterauthor generates on social media regarding her stances on the transgender community.“J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings,” Fiennes told the outlet. “It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being.“Fiennes stressed that he “can understand a viewpoint that might be angry” at 57-year-old Rowling’s public commentary on gender.“But it’s not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist,” he told theTimes. “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 previously weighed in on controversies surrounding Rowling in a March 2021 interview with the U.K.‘sThe Telegraph, in which he claimed the “level of hatred” aimed at Rowling was uncalled for, in his opinion.Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images"I can’t understand the vitriol directed at her. I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational,” said Fiennes. “I find the level of hatred that people express about views that differ from theirs, and the violence of language towards others, disturbing.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Rowling first came under fire in June 2020 when sheappeared to support anti-transgender sentimentsin a series of tweets. Though she denied her views on feminism are transphobic, shedoubled down on her controversial standpointsin a lengthy essay shared on her website days later.As the authorresponded to backlashat the time, Rowling wrote that she refuses to “bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.“A number ofPotteractors have spoken out against Rowling’s views in recent times. In January,Rupert Grintwrote a piece for theThe Times’“What I’ve Learnt"series, in which he said he “[does not] necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie,” and called the matter “a tricky one.“Also in January,Jason Isaacs— who plays Lucius Malfoy in the movies — noted that his and Rowling’s opinions “differ in many different areas” in an interview withThe Telegraph.Daniel Radcliffe,Emma Watsonand Grint haveeach spoken out separately against Rowling’s much-criticized remarksregarding the transgender community on other occasions.“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,” Watson, 32,wrote on Twitterin June 2020. “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Harry PotteractorRalph Fienneshas come toJ.K. Rowling’s defense again.In a new interview with theNew York Timespublished Saturday, the 59-year-old actor, who plays Tom Riddle / Lord Voldemort in the final fiveHarry Potterfilms, said the “verbal abuse directed at [Rowling] is disgusting, it’s appalling,” in reaction to continued controversy thePotterauthor generates on social media regarding her stances on the transgender community.“J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings,” Fiennes told the outlet. “It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being.“Fiennes stressed that he “can understand a viewpoint that might be angry” at 57-year-old Rowling’s public commentary on gender.“But it’s not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist,” he told theTimes. “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 previously weighed in on controversies surrounding Rowling in a March 2021 interview with the U.K.‘sThe Telegraph, in which he claimed the “level of hatred” aimed at Rowling was uncalled for, in his opinion.Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images"I can’t understand the vitriol directed at her. I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational,” said Fiennes. “I find the level of hatred that people express about views that differ from theirs, and the violence of language towards others, disturbing.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Rowling first came under fire in June 2020 when sheappeared to support anti-transgender sentimentsin a series of tweets. Though she denied her views on feminism are transphobic, shedoubled down on her controversial standpointsin a lengthy essay shared on her website days later.As the authorresponded to backlashat the time, Rowling wrote that she refuses to “bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.“A number ofPotteractors have spoken out against Rowling’s views in recent times. In January,Rupert Grintwrote a piece for theThe Times’“What I’ve Learnt"series, in which he said he “[does not] necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie,” and called the matter “a tricky one.“Also in January,Jason Isaacs— who plays Lucius Malfoy in the movies — noted that his and Rowling’s opinions “differ in many different areas” in an interview withThe Telegraph.Daniel Radcliffe,Emma Watsonand Grint haveeach spoken out separately against Rowling’s much-criticized remarksregarding the transgender community on other occasions.“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,” Watson, 32,wrote on Twitterin June 2020. “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

Harry PotteractorRalph Fienneshas come toJ.K. Rowling’s defense again.

In a new interview with theNew York Timespublished Saturday, the 59-year-old actor, who plays Tom Riddle / Lord Voldemort in the final fiveHarry Potterfilms, said the “verbal abuse directed at [Rowling] is disgusting, it’s appalling,” in reaction to continued controversy thePotterauthor generates on social media regarding her stances on the transgender community.

“J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings,” Fiennes told the outlet. “It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being.”

Fiennes stressed that he “can understand a viewpoint that might be angry” at 57-year-old Rowling’s public commentary on gender.

“But it’s not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist,” he told theTimes. “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 previously weighed in on controversies surrounding Rowling in a March 2021 interview with the U.K.‘sThe Telegraph, in which he claimed the “level of hatred” aimed at Rowling was uncalled for, in his opinion.

Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

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

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Rowling first came under fire in June 2020 when sheappeared to support anti-transgender sentimentsin a series of tweets. Though she denied her views on feminism are transphobic, shedoubled down on her controversial standpointsin a lengthy essay shared on her website days later.

As the authorresponded to backlashat the time, Rowling wrote that she refuses to “bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.”

A number ofPotteractors have spoken out against Rowling’s views in recent times. In January,Rupert Grintwrote a piece for theThe Times’“What I’ve Learnt"series, in which he said he “[does not] necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie,” and called the matter “a tricky one.”

Also in January,Jason Isaacs— who plays Lucius Malfoy in the movies — noted that his and Rowling’s opinions “differ in many different areas” in an interview withThe Telegraph.

Daniel Radcliffe,Emma Watsonand Grint haveeach spoken out separately against Rowling’s much-criticized remarksregarding the transgender community on other occasions.

“Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,” Watson, 32,wrote on Twitterin June 2020. “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

source: people.com