Harry Potter star defends J.K Rowling against 'disgusting' abuse

Ralph Fiennes previously launched a passionate defence of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling following the reports of abuse she has received online, including death threats.

Rowling recently alienated a section of the Harry Potter fanbase after making controversial comments about the trans community.

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Amazon Prime right now?

Tuesday 10 February 2026, 14:38

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now?

Monday 9 February 2026, 15:27

She has reported numerous death threats to the police, and also had to deal with the address of her family home being posted online.

While Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have stated their disagreement with Rowling's viewpoint, she has received support from Fiennes, who played Voldemort in the franchise.

“J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings," he told the New York Times.

"It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centred human being. 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.”

J.K. Rowling WAS invited to the Harry Potter reunion

Meanwhile, Rowling insists that she was invited to the Harry Potter reunion special which aired on Sky earlier this year.

The author created the Harry Potter world in the 1990s and would go on to write all seven books in the series.

For the 20-year anniversary of the first movie being released, Sky aired a special titled Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.

It featured most of the cast including Radcliffe, Watson, Grint, Robbie Coltrane, Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter among others. Conspicuous by her absence was Rowling which led to speculation online that she had not been invited to the reunion due to her comments regarding trans people.

But, she says she turned down the invite.

“I was asked to be on that, and I decided I didn’t want to do it,” she said in a conversation with Graham Norton for Virgin Radio.

“I thought it was about the films more than the books, quite rightly.

"That was what the anniversary was about.”