Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has become a controversial figure in the past few years due to her views on transgender people which have been deemed as transphobic by LGBT rights groups and, as a result, she has been a subject of criticism from the fans of her franchise as well as people who were involved in it as well.
Now, it looks like Rowling has found an ally from one of the stars of the Harry Potter franchise, Ralph Fiennes, who played Lord Voldemort. The Oscar nominee defended the author in a recent interview with The New York Times where he slammed the fan backlash and threats that Rowling has been receiving.
"J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings. It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being," he said.
"The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it’s appalling. I mean, I can understand a viewpoint that might be angry at what she says about women. But it’s not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist. 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 certainly expressed an unpopular opinion in his recent comments and it would be interesting to see if it will also receive major backlash from fans of the franchise as some of them have already turned against the author for some time now and might do the same for the actor with what he said.
This is also the first time that an actor from the franchise has publicly sided with Rowling in this controversy. There is also no doubt that this will be a continuing talked-about issue amongst the Harry Potter fandom for a time being as some key players are still speaking about it.
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