Tom Felton’s REACTION To J.K. Rowling’s CONTROVERSY BACKFIRES – Harry Potter FANS ACCUSE Him Of DEFLECTING And The OUTRAGE Is ONLY GROWING

Tom Felton addressed the JK Rowling controversy(Image: Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro)
At the 78th Annual Tony Awards in NYC’s Radio City Music Hall on June 8, Harry Potter fans were left dismayed by Tom Felton’s comments about J.K. Rowling’s transphobia.

The actor, recently confirmed to return as Draco Malfoy in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, faced questions from Variety on the red carpet about whether the controversy surrounding Rowling’s views affects him or his work. Tom responded, “No, I can’t say it does, I’m not really that attuned to it.”

“The only thing that I always remind myself is that I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world,” he added. “Here I am in New York, and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter. And she’s responsible, so I’m incredibly grateful.”

Discontent soon flooded X, previously called Twitter, with a clip from his interview stirring fan outrage. One fan lashed out, “What a privileged straight white man take,” reports the Mirror US.

JK Rowling has said some controversial comments(Image: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)
Another declared, “Tom felton….. you’ve lost any respect you’ve ever had from me.”

A third chided, “Translation: I do not have anyone close to me who is trans. And since it doesn’t affect me personally, it doesn’t matter. Nothing has brought the world more together than Potter? She has made the world less safe for an entire group of people. Shame on Tom Felton.”

One fan commented, “Must be nice for Tom Felton to not have to be ‘attuned’ to Rowling’s awfulness. Doesn’t personally affect him, so why should he care?”

J.K. first faced accusations of transphobia in 2018 when she liked a tweet that was anti-trans. However, the author’s true stance became apparent in 2019 when she followed a “self-professed transphobe” YouTuber Magdalen Berns and defended Maya Forstater, who made anti-trans comments, which were at the center of her employment discrimination lawsuit.

The 59-year-old continued to like anti-trans tweets and posted on Twitter expressing her anger about an article using the phrase “people who menstruate.”

In 2020, she published an essay defending herself where she expressed her concern about the “worried about the new trans activism” and criticized women who believe there’s a “material difference between trans women and themselves.”

Actors from the Harry Potter series, including those who played the main three characters (Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley), publicly disagreed with J.K. Rowling and condemned her views.

Daniel Radcliffe stated in part of his response that “transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

He apologized, saying he was “deeply sorry” for the fans who “feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished” after J.K.’s remarks.

Emma Watson tweeted her support, writing, “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.”

She continued, reaching out to her trans followers: “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

Rupert Grint spoke to The Times, affirming, “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment. I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers.”

Several Harry Potter cast members, including Eddie Redmayne, David Tennant, and Katie Leung, have also countered the British author’s views. Some cast members even contributed to an open letter supporting the transgender community after a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom’s decision in April on the definition of “woman” and “sex”.

Despite past controversies, J.K. remains embroiled in anti-trans discourse, recently making unsubstantiated claims regarding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s gender identity—a claim that Imane herself has refuted.