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JK Rowling, author of the hugely successful Harry Potter series, found her name in headlines these last few years less for her creative work and more for her hateful, inflammatory, transphobic comments and social media behavior.
The once-beloved writer started down a pointedly anti-trans path a few years ago and has gotten so bad about it several people who have worked with her have denounced her.
Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne, actors who have played central roles in the movie adaptations of her books, both made statements in support of trans rights. Stephen King, an author who Rowling long praised as a game-changer, tweeted trans women are women.
Rowling deleted her praise of King in response.
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the original set of films, has long aligned herself as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. She was among the first, and clearest, to speak out against Rowling's transphobic TERF messaging.
People believe her recent BAFTA award ceremony appearance included a subtle jab at Rowling, though Watson never mentioned the author by name.
Rebel Wilson introduced Watson by saying:
“She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.”
Watson responded on stepping up to the mic with:
"I'm here for all the witches."
The single sentence is drawing cheers from around the world.
Emma Watson is a queen for thispic.twitter.com/fng3dHsfYJ— Joe\ud83e\udd64 (@Joe\ud83e\udd64) 1647205726
I love the shade Emma Watson just threw at JK Rowling at the BAFTAs. She said, "I'm here for ALL of the witches, bar one." Emma is a QUEEN.pic.twitter.com/3jXEDVpzHQ— Alejandra Caraballo \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7 (@Alejandra Caraballo \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7) 1647264248
Maybe Emma Watson mouthed \u201cbar one\u201d during her acceptance speech and maybe she didn\u2019t (she absolutely did), but regardless, \u201cI\u2019m here for all the witches\u201d is the best bit for me. A lot of young trans girls are watching that clip this morning and smiling. She\u2019s a lovely soul.— Charlotte Clymer \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Charlotte Clymer \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1647274099
#jkdoesntspeakforme and she doesn't speak for emma watson either!pic.twitter.com/wBCCRtNvup— will (@will) 1647204787
But some Rowling supporters—overwhelmingly White men—are annoyed with Watson.
They called the actress talentless, ungrateful and accused her of "biting the hand that feeds" since they feel Watson owed Rowling a debt of gratitude for her early film roles.
The backlash is just as real as the applause.
Freedom of expression is very important. So I want to make it clear that I 100% support Emma Watson\u2019s right to be an ungrateful and talentless little shit, as much as I do the rights of her critics to call her an ungrateful and talentless little shit.— \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udf27\ud83c\udf0d (@\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udf27\ud83c\udf0d) 1647346529
I wonder which Pizza Hut Emma Watson would be working in if it wasn't for JK Rowling— Leo Kearse - comedian - see my videos on YouTube (@Leo Kearse - comedian - see my videos on YouTube) 1647298013
People are being harsh on the wonderful Emma Watson for her ungracious dismissal of JK Rowling.\n\nPlease don\u2019t judge her on this one brief moment, but instead consider her decades of incredibly bad acting.pic.twitter.com/AY7em5SULo— Bill Moon (@Bill Moon) 1647289114
Which caused its own ripple effect in the debate that doesn't look like it's going to be ending any time soon.
Pretty funny to see all these self-proclaimed \u201cfeminists\u201d saying that Emma Watson, a grown woman, shouldn\u2019t be able to speak her mind because she \u201cowes\u201d all her professional accomplishments to someone she worked for over 11 years ago.— Sarah McGonagall (@Sarah McGonagall) 1647312448
Pretty sure that she is a UN ambassador, Ivy League graduate, has acted in several other prestige films, launched multiple companies, is on the board of directors for another organization, speaks at international conferences, and has done philanthropy full-time for half her life.— Sarah McGonagall (@Sarah McGonagall) 1647312772
The thing that\u2019s completely wild about the Emma Watson thing, aside from the notion that you owe former employees loyalty in all matters for the rest of time, is that she didn\u2019t say *anything* negative about her. She was supportive of trans women. That was it. That was the slight— Sara Gibbs (@Sara Gibbs) 1647271091
\u2018B-b-b-but Emma Watson owes her career to-\u2019\nNo. Because someone once gave you a job, that doesn\u2019t mean you must enslave your conscience, your integrity, your very soul to that person. \nThat idea is utterly despicable.— William Hussey (He/Him) (@William Hussey (He/Him)) 1647205523
The unhinged sexism thrown at Emma Watson for speaking her mind against JK Rowling. She graduated from Brown University. Emma would've been successful regardless of being in Harry Potter.https://twitter.com/LeahyMichael43/status/1503376531602747399\u00a0\u2026— Alejandra Caraballo \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7 (@Alejandra Caraballo \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7) 1647276449
'JK Rowling plucking Emma Watson from obscurity and her life as an urchin living on the streets of Victorian London'pic.twitter.com/q6i7YBmon7— Katerona Bubsy McDoo (@Katerona Bubsy McDoo) 1647344418
Neither Rowling nor Watson have commented on Watson's support of all witches.