Harry Potter actor Sean Biggerstaff has slammed J.K Rowling on social media, calling her "bigoted" for her recent comments regarding transgender rights.
The author celebrated the UK Supreme Court ruling declaring that the term "women" in the 2010 Equality Act refers only to biological women, excluding trans women who legally hold gender recognition certificates (GRC).
Highlights
- Harry Potter star Sean Biggerstaff publicly condemned J.K. Rowling on X.
- Rowling supported a UK Supreme Court ruling that excludes trans women from the definition of "women" under the Equality Act.
- Sean defended his Harry Potter co-stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who have also spoken out in favor of trans rights.
Rowling financially backed For Women Scotland, the campaign group that brought the case to the Supreme Court.
Image credits: Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images
Sean, who portrayed Oliver Wood in the first two Harry Potter films and returned for a cameo in the final installment, responded to the 59-year-old author after she shared a photo enjoying a cigar and a cocktail aboard her yacht, accompanied by a caption about a plan "coming together."
Rowling denied accusations that she was "smoking a bl*nt," clarifying that it was "objectively, provably and demonstratively a cigar."
The Scottish actor then claimed she lacked a sense of humor, writing: "Bigotry rots the wit."
Image credits: John Phillips/Getty Images
Rowling shared a picture of Susan Smith and Marion Calder, co-directors of For Women Scotland, warning people not to "f**k with Scottish women."
Sean replied to the author's message: "The majority of Scottish women, who don't agree with these d**kheads, aren't being bankrolled by an obsessed billionaire."
In a separate post, the former Quidditch captain for Gryffindor compared the creator of the wizarding world to Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist who often puffs a cigar on camera.
"Lol, huffing on a cigar now? Is she Andrew Tate?" read the message that Sean reposted.
Sean portrayed Quidditch captain Oliver Wood in the first two Harry Potter films and returned for a cameo in the final movie
Image credits: Netflix
Image credits: Netflix
He also showed support for his co-stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint when a user wrote, "Wonder how these disloyal bags of sh*t are doing today?"
"You don't have to wonder," he penned. "You know what they're doing–leading happy and successful lives, having not driven their families away with their hateful obsessions."
The 42-year-old remains active in the Harry Potter world. In February, he attended a signing event at the Gibert Joseph bookstore in France.
Moreover, he attended a meet and greet in Italy in December 2024 as well as the New England WizardFest & Magic Convention in Massachusetts in August 2023.
The actor slammed the Harry Potter author in a series of messages shared on X (formerly Twitter)
Image credits: Seanchuckle
Sean further expressed his opposition to the ruling, stating that the "loudest voices" were "using concern for s*x-based rights as a cover for entirely reactionary politics."
He shared: "Today is just a torrent of people being willfully simple-minded. A performance of pragmatism to cloak their instinctive distaste for the Other."
The 42-year-old stood by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, defending them from attacks over their support for the trans community
Image credits: Seanchuckle
Image credits: Seanchuckle
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that only biological women would be protected from discrimination as a woman under the Equality Act.
The Scottish government had previously argued that transgender women with a GRC certificate were entitled to s*x-based protections.
For Women Scotland claimed the Equality Act only applied to cisgender women and brought a case against the Scottish government.
A spokesperson for the UK government said the ruling "brings clarity and confidence" for women and those who run hospitals, sports clubs and women's refuges.
"We have always supported the protection of single-s*x spaces based on biological s*x. Single-s*x spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this government."
Sean also compared Rowling to the self-proclaimed misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and called her lack of humor a result of "bigotry"
Image credits: Seanchuckle
Image credits: Seanchuckle
Image credits: Netflix
Rowling showed support for the ruling, writing, "It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, they've protected the rights of women and girls across the UK.
"Trans people have lost zero rights today, although I don't doubt some (not all) will be furious that the Supreme Court upheld women's s*x-based rights.
The Hogwarts architect previously expressed that she wouldn't accept a hypothetical apology from Daniel Radcliffe or Emma Watson over their support of the trans community.
"Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women's hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single s*x spaces," she wrote in April 2024.
All three Harry Potter stars voiced their support for the trans community after J.K. Rowling began posting critical comments in 2019
Image credits: Jon Furniss/Getty Images
In 2020, Daniel released an essay for The Trevor Project to voice his support for the trans community and apologize for the "pain" caused by Rowling's words.
Emma also released a statement, saying, "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."
Meanwhile, Rupert Grint stated that he “firmly stood” with the trans community. He shared: "Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment."
"Such a weird take that you have to be eternally grateful to the writer," one user wrote
Image credits: Robbins17Chris
Image credits: The_Ice_Creamy
Image credits: littleferret22
Image credits: Comic_Geek94
Image credits: eruditecalm1
Image credits: BaileyCrawly
Image credits: ottercito
Image credits: whiskileak
Image credits: PhantomThorns
Image credits: veggydaddy
Image credits: Lizzie_AR
Image credits: BobHopeisdead
Image credits: daffodil_Ouro
Image credits: FaustinoBerlin
Image credits: rmmcgrath