Rupert Grint is opening up about his decision to speak out against J.K. Rowling’s controversial comments.
In a new interview with Esquire, the “Harry Potter” star acknowledged the impact the author had on his life while explaining why he felt it necessary to condemn her tweets about the transgender community.
“I am hugely grateful [for] everything that she’s done,” he said. “I think that she’s extremely talented, and I mean, clearly, her works are genius. But yeah, I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that.”
In 2020, Rowling made headlines when she responded to a headline that used the phrase “people who menstruate,” writing, “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Many called Rowling’s words transphobic and pointed out that transgender, non-binary and gender-nonconforming people can also menstruate.
Rowling followed up with a lengthy essay on her website detailing her “five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism.”
After co-stars Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe criticized Rowling’s comments, Rupert shared a statement of his own with The Sunday Times, saying, “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.”
When asked by Esquire if it was difficult to speak out against Rowling, Rupert responded, “Sometimes silence is even louder. I felt like I had to because I think it was important to. I mean, I don’t want to talk about all that…Generally, I’m not an authority on the subject.”
“Just out of kindness, and just respecting people. I think it’s a valuable group that I think needs standing up for,” he added.
‘Harry Potter’ Stars: Then & Now
View GalleryGrint’s latest comments come days after Ralph Fiennes, who portrayed Lord Voldemort in the fantasy films, seemed to defend Rowling in an interview with The Telegraph.
“I can’t understand the vitriol directed at her,” he 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.”