Actor Eddie Redmayne has come to the defense of J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potterauthor who’s been widely condemned for her comments about transgender people.
Redmayne, the star of the Fantastic Beasts movies based on Rowling’s work, told the Daily Mail that the “vitriol” being directed at Rowling on social media is “absolutely disgusting,” and that he’d written the author a private letter.
Redmayne had previously distanced himself from Rowling’s remarks about trans people, saying in June, “I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.”
Rowling has repeatedly doubled down on her comments that many criticize as transphobic. Most recently, she tweeted a link to a web store called Wild Womyn Workshop, which sells buttons and mugs with slogans like “F*ck Your Pronouns,” “Lesbians Don’t Have Penises” and “Notorious Transphobe.”
Redmayne faced criticism in 2015 for his role in The Danish Girl. Redmayne, a cisgender man, portrayed a transgender woman; many believed that the role should have gone to a trans actress.
The actor told the Daily Mail that he supports trans rights, but he seemed to be comparing widespread transphobia to criticism of Rowling, saying, “Similarly, there continues to be a hideous torrent of abuse towards trans people online and out in the world that is devastating.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.