Rupert Grint Compares J.K. Rowling to an ‘Auntie’ He Doesn’t Always Agree With
In an interview with The Sunday Times published over the weekend, Harry Potter alum Rupert Grint offered a glimpse into his relationship with J.K. Rowling amid the author’s ongoing courtship with controversy.
“I liken J.K. Rowling to an auntie,” he revealed as part of the publication’s “What I’ve Learnt” column. “I don’t necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie.”
Though he didn’t elaborate, Grint is likely referring to Rowling’s history of making transphobic comments. She first received backlash in 2019 when she tweeted in support of anti-trans activist Maya Forstater, who was fired from her job in the U.K. for declaring that “men cannot change into women.” In response to the criticism, Rowling only doubled down on her discriminatory views. Since then, she has spread dangerous misinformation about transgender people, fear-mongering about bathroom safety and the (nonexistent) threat trans rights pose to feminism.