Sir Stephen Fry has become the latest Harry Potter alumnus to turn his back on author JK Rowling, accusing her of being “radicalised” and calling her views on transgender people “cruel” and “mocking”.
The 66-year-old actor, comedian and broadcaster – who narrated the audiobooks for all seven Harry Potter novels – said he used to be close to Rowling but has been deeply disturbed by her recent comments and online activity.
Speaking on The Show People podcast, Fry said: “She has been radicalised, I fear – perhaps by TERFs, [trans-exclusionary radical feminist] but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her. It is unhelpful and only hardens her. I’m afraid she seems to be a lost cause for us.”
Fry, who is gay and a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, said Rowling’s stance has left him angry and saddened, particularly her refusal to distance herself from the more extreme rhetoric shared by some of her supporters.
“She started to make these peculiar statements and had very strong, difficult views,” he said. “She seemed to kick a hornet’s nest of transphobia that has been entirely destructive.”
“I disagree profoundly with her on this subject. She says things that are inflammatory, contemptuous and mocking. They add to a terribly distressing time for trans people.”
Fry said he had once enjoyed Rowling’s company and had chosen not to speak out publicly at the height of the controversy, despite criticism from within the LGBTQ+ community. In 2022, he told the Beeb Watch podcast that he wouldn’t “abandon” either Rowling or his trans friends.
But three years on, he has now taken a firmer stance, describing the current anti-trans climate as a genuine emergency.
“When it comes to the transphobia issue, it is right to remind people that trans people are here and that they are hurting,” he said. “They are being abominably treated. There’s a great deal of bullying, violence, suicide and genuine agony in the trans community.”
He also warned against reducing the debate to social media outrage: “To scream ‘transphobe’ at anybody who doesn’t buy into every single aspect of a person’s trans views is self-harming. It doesn’t get the thing done. You have to let people love you.”
Fry joins Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in publicly distancing themselves from Rowling’s views on gender identity and trans rights. All three have expressed support for the trans community in the past.
By contrast, actor Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, has said Rowling’s views don’t change his gratitude toward her or the franchise. “I’m not really that attuned,” he said in a previous interview. “I always remind myself I’ve not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter – and she’s responsible for that.”
Felton is currently set to reprise his role on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child later this year.
Fry’s comments come just weeks after a landmark ruling by the UK Supreme Court clarified that, under the Equality Act, the terms “woman” and “sex” refer to biological sex. The decision was described by judges as a legal clarification – not a win for either side – but still sparked widespread reaction.
JK Rowling celebrated the ruling with photos of champagne and cigars aboard a luxury yacht, prompting backlash from critics who called the display inappropriate given the judgment’s sensitive nature.
LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall responded with concern. Chief executive Simon Blake said: “This ruling will be incredibly worrying for the trans community. But the court strongly and clearly reaffirmed that the Equality Act protects all trans people against discrimination.”
Fry, reflecting on the tone of the debate, said: “I always liked her company. I found her charming, funny and interesting. And then this thing happened – and it completely altered the way she talks and engages with the world now.”
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