Rupert Grint Opens Up About His Relationship With J.K. Rowling Today
Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and the rest of the "Harry Potter" gang (along with millions of fans around the world) grew up immersed in the world and characters created by J.K. Rowling. The British author defined a generation with her seven books about the journey of three young wizards as they learned to use their virtues to fight the evil forces of the world, including prejudice. In fact, a 2015 study concluded that "Harry Potter" readers demonstrated less prejudice against minority groups, including immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ people, when compared to students who hadn't read the books, as Psychology Today reported.
However, the same author who introduced us to the brave Harry Potter, brilliant Hermione Granger, and loyal Ron Wesley has increasingly come under fire for expressing views that many fans consider to go against the values instilled in the books. Rowling has been accused of transphobia for many years, as them. noted in 2018, but she made global headlines in 2020 when she went on a Twitter rant against the term "people who menstruate." Rowling tweeted in response to a Devex article that used the term, "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" Rowling then justified her stance by revealing she was a sexual assault survivor, drawing even more criticism for seemingly likening transgender people to criminals, according to Reuters.
Rowling's statements against trans people have affected Grint's relationship with her in recent years, making it more "tricky."
Rupert Grint stills considers J.K. Rowling his 'auntie'
Rupert Grint believes J.K. Rowling is wrong in her stance regarding transgender people, but he is still fond of the "Harry Potter" author, he explained in a January 15 essay for The Times of London (via People). "I liken J.K. Rowling to an auntie," Grint penned. "I don't necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she's still my auntie. It's a tricky one."
This isn't the first time Grint has weighed in on Rowling's controversial statements. Following the author's Twitter thread in June 2020, Grint sided with the LGBTQ community. "I firmly stand with the trans community. Trans women are women. Trans men are men," Grint told Us Weekly. "We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment." Then, in March 2021, Grint explained that he believed he could both have affection for Rowling and criticize her beliefs. "I think that she's extremely talented, and I mean, clearly, her works are genius," Grint told Esquire. "But yeah, I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that."
Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson also spoke out against Rowling after the controversy. "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 tweeted in June 2020. Similarly, Radcliffe wrote that "transgender women are women" for The Trevor Project.