Rupert Grint has a complicated relationship with the writer who created his most iconic role.
In a new interview with The Times, the “Harry Potter” star was asked about author J.K. Rowling’s public anti-trans statements.
READ MORE: ‘Harry Potter’ Fan Sites Step Back From J.K. Rowling Over Transgender Views
“I liken J.K. Rowling to an auntie,” the actor said. “I don’t necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie. It’s a tricky one.”
Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the “Harry Potter” films, previously spoke out in support of the trans community, amid the controversy around Rowling.
“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 judgment,” he told The Times in 2020.
READ MORE: Jonathan Van Ness Calls Out J.K. Rowling For ‘Constant Transphobic Cherry Picked Vitriol’
Grint addressed his decision to speak publicly about the controversy in an interview with Esquire last year.
“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,” Grint said. “But yeah, I think also you can have huge respect for someone and still disagree with things like that.”
He continued, “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.”
Other members of the Harry Potter cast have also spoken out in support of trans people in the wake of Rowling’s statements, including stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
