The Harry Potter franchise has been entertaining audiences for decades, with a certain generation of fans growing up with the heroes of Hogwarts. And while the Wizarding World continues to grow exponentially, there’s been some drama surrounding its author, and her comments about transgender women. Following the Harry Potter reunion special, Rupert Grint opened up about Rowling and her controversial opinions.
The situation surrounding J.K. Rowling has been ongoing for years, and a number of Harry Potter actors (including starring trio) have come out in support of the transgender community. Rupert Grint issued a number of statements dating back to 2020, and was recently asked about his feelings about Rowling. The Servant star responded, saying:
I don’t necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie. It’s a tricky one.
There you have it. While Rupert Grint seemingly continues to stand by the transgender community, it seems that he’s still got some love for the author of the Harry Potter franchise. It’s likely a complicated mixture of emotions, especially considering just how young he was when debuting as Ron Weasley in The Sorcerer’s Stone.
Rupert Grint’s comments to The Times have quickly started going viral, as J.K. Rowling has continued speaking out about her opinions on gender and activism via social media. And with the author’s continued presence in Harry Potter via the Fantastic Beasts franchise, this discourse surrounding her views and how it might affect trans individuals is showing no signs of slowing down.
As previously mentioned, the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling has been ongoing for a few years now. Various members of the Harry Potter franchise came out in support of transgender folks at the time, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. The Ron Weasley icon’s original comments can be seen below,
I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.
While the Wizarding World continues to grow thanks to stage plays, theme parks, and the aforementioned Fantastic Beasts movies, some fans have abandoned the property as a result of J.K. Rowling’s comments. She was noticeably absent from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, with the author’s comments used via archival interviews. The situation was also not addressed in the streaming special, with the HBO Max event instead being a celebration of the cast’s years spent on set.
Potterheads out there are no doubt excited to dive back into the Wizarding World when David Yates’ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore finally arrives in theaters on April 15th. The prequel series is getting more and more connected to Harry Potter, with The Crimes of Grindelwald including Nagini, McGonagall, and the Elder Wand. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
