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Piers Morgan slates Harry Potter star for comments against JK Rowling: ‘Weasley by name and nature’
Another Harry Potter star weighed in to criticise JK Rowling in her transphobia row (Picture: Wales News Service/Rex)
Piers Morgan has hit out at Harry Potter actor Chris Rankin, who branded JK Rowling’s transgender views ‘damaging.’
Peter – who played Percy Weasley in the franchise – said he does ‘a lot of work with charities that are LGBTQ+ focused.’
‘A lot of my family are members of the community. You can probably guess where my allegiances lie in that respect,’ he said.
He added: ‘When a trans person says they are male or female, that is what they are and that is how we should treat them. It is damaging to them to say otherwise.’
The author behind the books, 56, has faced accusations of transphobia after she mocked an online article in June 2020 which used the words ‘people who menstruate’ instead of ‘women.’
She later defended herself in a passionate essay, but has continued to face criticism.
TV presenter Piers, 56, took to Twitter to label Chris ‘Weasley by name, and nature’ after he became the latest HP star to speak out against its creator.
‘These Potter stars are such a bunch of ungrateful little twerps … more interested in pathetic virtue-signalling than supporting the right of the woman who made them all rich & famous to have an opinion most people agree with,’ he wrote.
Chris Rankin played Percy Weasley in six of the eight Harry Potter films (Picture: Harry Potter: The Complete 8- Fi)
Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson have criticised the writer’s remarks, as has Eddie Redmayne, who stars in her Fantastic Beasts films.
Chris specifically has explained that Hogwarts – the wizarding school in the iconic franchise – is a ‘place for anybody who needs it’ and hopes fans continue to consider it a ‘safe place,’ despite the controversy surrounding the person who developed it.
Rowling has been heavily criticised for her remarks towards the trans community (Picture: Getty)
This isn’t the first time Chris has spoken out about Rowling’s comments, as he previously thanked co-star Daniel for showing his support for the LGBTQ+ community, tweeting: ‘Dan, you eternal sweetheart.’
Chris wrote a letter asking to audition for the role of Percy Weasley at the age of 16, which clearly worked since he went on to play the role in six of the eight films.
Described on his website as a ‘vocal ally to the LGBTQ+ community’, he has hosted at Pride Cymru for two years in a row.
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Meanwhile, Rowling has stressed the importance of biology, saying: ‘I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.’
The Harry Potter cast have reunited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the blockbuster franchise, with Hermione Granger actor Emma, lead star Daniel and Ron Weasley star Rupert reminiscing on good ol’ times and taking a stroll down memory lane.
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