JK Rowling lashes out at Stephen Fry after he accuses her of being 'radicalised'
JK Rowling lashed out at Sir Stephen Fry after he accused the controversial Harry Potter author of being "radicalised by TERFs". Fry, who is the narrator for the popular books, previously claimed the author was a "friend of mine" and said he wouldn't "abandon" friendships despite even though his trans friends were "deeply upset" by Rowling.
However, he recently changed his mind and called her a 'lost cause' on the podcast The Show People this month. He said: "She has been radicalised, I fear, and it may be she has been radicalised by TERFs, but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her.
"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."
TERF is an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist and is often used to people whose views on gender identity are considered hateful or hostile to the transgender community.
Fry then accused her of 'mocking' LGBTQ+ people and said he supports the trans community. The star explained: "She started to make these peculiar statements and had very strong difficult views. She seemed to wake up or kick a hornet's nest of transphobia which has been entirely destructive.
"I disagree profoundly with her on this subject. I am angry she does not disavow some of the more revolting and truly horrible, destructive violently destructive things that people say. She does not attack those at all.
"She says things that are inflammatory and contemptuous, mocking and add to a terribly distressing time for trans people. She has crowed at the success of legislation in Scotland and elsewhere declaring things about gender.
"So I am very happy to go on the record to say that I am really angry about that. My view about all things of sharp and difficult nature is that is is much more important to be effective than to be right."
After the comments were made, barrister Jo Maugham quoted Fry in a tweet shared on X (Twitter) and said: "Really creditable this, from Stephen Fry. I've spoken to so many of JKR's once friends who now despair at her privately but won't do so publicly, which is very much the British way and why nothing ever changes for the better. So well done Stephen."
However, Rowling was quick to hit out at Fry and claimed they were never friends. She re-posted the tweet and added: "It is a great mistake to assume that everyone who claims to have been a friend of mine was ever considered a friend by me."
Rowling has shared offensive tweets about the trans community over the years, with many Harry Potter stars speaking out against the author.
The author, 59, first made comments about trans people six years ago and has since stood strong in her belief that they pose a threat to women in same sex spaces, such as toilets.
Following the Supreme Court's judgement in April, she referred to transgender women as "men".
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