Stephen Fry on J.K. Rowling: ‘She seems to be a lost cause'

Euronews

19-06-2025

Renowned British actor, author and broadcaster Stephen Fry has labelled Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling a 'lost cause' and stated that she has been 'radicalised by TERFs' - the acronym that stands for 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist'.
The term is used by transgender activists against gender critics like Rowling, who has dedicated much of her online presence to defending her views while expressing transphobic views.
During the recording of the podcast The Show People, Fry, who previously narrated all seven Harry Potter audiobooks, said: "She has been radicalised I fear and it maybe she has been radicalised by TERFs, but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her.'
As reported by The Daily Mail, Fry continued: 'It is unhelpful and only hardens her and will only continue to harden her I am afraid. I am not saying that she not be called out when she says things that are really cruel, wrong and mocking. She seems to be a lost cause for us.'
'I am sorry because I always liked her company,' he added. 'I found her charming, funny and interesting and then this thing happened, and it completely altered the way she talks and engages with the world now.'
He continued by saying that Rowling's 'contemptuous' comments 'add to a terribly distressing time for trans people.'
Stephen Fry spoke in the aftermath of the UK Supreme Court ruling in April that determined that 'woman' meant a biological female and not gender.
Lord Hodge said the five Supreme Court justices had unanimously decided that 'the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex.'
Many expressed fears that the ruling could put trans and non-binary people in danger. Stonewall's chief executive Simon Blake said that the ruling 'will be incredibly worrying for the trans community and all of us who support them.'
Meanwhile, Rowling celebrated the ruling by posting a picture of herself smoking a cigar on her yacht.
Fry's recent comments have been met with a torrent of bile online...
... as well as some support, highlighting quite how divisive the issue remains.
Fry is not the only former Harry Potter star to speak out and criticise Rowling's continued hateful rhetoric. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all spoken out against her controversial views.
Last year, Radcliffe told The Atlantic that Rowling's views 'make me really sad', adding: 'Because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.'
Watson expressed her support, stating: "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 said: "I firmly stand with the trans community... Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment."
Rowling previously said that she wouldn't forgive the Harry Potter stars who have criticised her views. '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 sex spaces,' she wrote on X.
Earlier this year, Rowling reignited tensions with the actors by taking an indirect jab at Radcliffe, Watson and Grint. In March, she was asked: 'What actor/actress instantly ruins a movie for you?'
Rowling replied: 'Three guesses. Sorry, but that was irresistible.'
By contrast, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the franchise, said he remains 'grateful' to Rowling.
'I'm not really that attuned,' said Felton. 'The only thing I always remind myself is that I've been lucky enough to travel the world. Here I am in New York. And I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, and she's responsible for that. So I'm incredibly grateful.'
His comments sparked a wave of differing reactions - some applauded him for what they called a 'classy response,' while others condemned his words as 'atrocious,' 'spineless,' and 'disappointing.'
Should an artist's faith determine what happens to their work when they die? The death of one of France's most successful rappers has raised this question.
French rapper Werenoi, whose real name was Jérémy Bana Owona, died on 17 May 2025, aged 31. He was France's top album seller in 2023 and 2024, and his death shocked both the music industry and the public.
'Rest in peace my man. A news that saddens me and courage to the loved ones especially', popstar Aya Nakamura wrote on social media.
Following the release of his first song 'Guadalajara' in 2021, Werenoi quickly rose to great success. His 2024 album 'Carré' was named best rap album at the Flammes Awards, and he was the opening act for Burna Boy at the Stade de France in April.
With more than 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, he was an example of a vibrant francophone music scene that keeps growing worldwide, according to the platform's new report on francophone content.
Culture minister Rachida Dati called the rapper 'the icon of a generation.'
'In an age of overexposure and ever-present social media, he had opted for privacy. Cultivating discretion, he revealed himself only through his lyrics', Dati said in a statement on 20 May.
One of the only known facts about Werenoi's private life was his faith. The rapper was Muslim.
In the hours following his death, debates erupted on social media over what should be done with his music according to Islam.
'Werenoi was a Muslim, and we invite you to listen to his music as little as possible, out of respect for his faith," online rap publication Raplume said in a social media post that has since been deleted.
'Avoid streaming Werenoi's tracks, he was a Muslim, it's for his faith', one user said on X. A tribute to the artist by French rap radio station Skyrock elicited similar criticism.
Other fans felt that listening to Werenoi's music was a way of paying their respects and ensuring that his legacy lives on.
'When he was alive, Werenoi was making music, going on Skyrock and selling albums, so it's only natural that when he dies, the rap world should pay tribute to him by playing his music', one user wrote on X.
The rapper's team and relatives have not publicly weighed in on the debate, leaving fans to decipher mixed messages.
Werenoi's music videos were removed from YouTube, but the audio versions still remain available on the platform.
A source close to the rapper told French newspaper Le Parisien that the videos had only been temporarily hidden to allow the family to grieve. Werenoi's producer later denied this claim.
Rumours even said the artist's entire discography would soon disappear from all streaming platforms, but this has yet to happen.
The teachings of Islam are up to interpretation. Many on social media argue that music is haram, meaning it is forbidden by Islamic law. Listening to Werenoi's music after his death would bring him sins in his grave.
But the word 'music' does not actually appear in the Quran and many artists around the world are practising Muslims.
'The prohibition of music by some branches of Islam is not based on any consensus but rather on controversial interpretations of certain suras and hadiths [statements attributed to the prophet Muhammad]', musicologist Luis Velasco-Pufleau wrote in a 2017 blogpost.
Fundamentalist Islamic movements like Salafism and Wahhabism strictly prohibit music while other traditions, like Sufism, are more lenient.
There have been similar controversies in the past. The death in 2019 of British rapper Cadet, who converted to Islam at 15, also ignited online discussions on the future of his music - much to the dismay of some users.
'When anyone else passes away Muslims will send their condolences as normal... But when it's a Muslim [rapper] we go into theological debates about sharing his music etc', London-based imam Shabbir Hassan posted on X (then Twitter) at the time.
'Just take a lesson from his death and make du'a [a Muslim prayer] for him. That will benefit us/him the most.'
For some, this question tends to be overly politicised.
'It's fascinating how cultural topics can raise this kind of political and religious debates,' streamer iliesomg said on decolonial YouTube channel Paroles d'honneur.
He said that listening to Werenoi's music should be a personal decision for Muslim believers, guided by their own approach to spirituality.
Numbers show that Werenoi's audience, Muslim or not, does not seem ready to let go of his art. Sales for his last album 'Diamant noir', released in April, rose by 72% in the week after his death, making it the most listened album in France.