Rupert Grint discusses decision to speak out during JK Rowling trans row

‘You can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that,’ said Harry Potter star

Rupert Grint has reflected on his decision to publicly stand against JK Rowling’s views on trans people last year.

In June, the actor said he opposed comments made by the author that had been branded “transphobic” online.

Rowling had also written an essay, which was criticised by LGBT+ advocacy groups and others for containing inaccuracies and perpetuating harmful beliefs about transgender people.

Grint’s Harry Potter co-stars Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe spoke out against Rowling immediately. Grint followed suit, issuing the following statement to The Sunday Times: “I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgement.”

In a new interview with Esquire, Grint said: “I am hugely grateful [for] everything that she’s done. I think that she’s extremely talented, and I mean, clearly, her works are genius.

“But yeah, I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that.”

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On why he decided to weigh in, he added: “Sometimes silence is even louder. I felt like I had to because I think it was important to. I mean, I don’t want to talk about all that…

“Generally, I’m not an authority on the subject. Just out of kindness, and just respecting people. I think it’s a valuable group that I think needs standing up for.”

Grint was most recently seen in Apple TV+’s Servant, which finishes its second season this weekend.