JK Rowling has hit back at Sir Stephen Fry after the Harry Potter narrator accused her of being ‘radicalised by TERFs’ – claiming the two were never even friends.
Fry, 67, previously branded the author a ‘friend of mine’, adding he did not plan to ‘abandon’ friendships despite his trans pals being ‘deeply upset’ by Rowling.
But this month Fry turned on the Harry Potter creator as he branded her a ‘lost cause’ and accused her of being ‘radicalised by TERFs’ while recording podcast The Show People.
Following the remarks, British barrister Jo Maugham echoed Fry’s claim that he and Rowling were friends as he wrote on X: ‘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.’
But in response to the post, Rowling savagely shut down any suggestion that she and Fry were ever close, even if he thought they were.
‘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,’ she replied on X.
Comedian and TV presenter Fry previously told how he used to have dinner regularly with the author and described her views towards the trans community as ‘strange’.
During The Show People this month Fry, who is himself gay, 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.’
Fry recorded audio books for all seven of the Harry Potter series, but has now turned his back on the author, accusing her of ‘mocking’ LGBT+ people and insisting he supports the trans community.
He said: ‘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.’
Fry, who has until recently not spoken openly about the row, explained that he had previously got on well with the author.
‘I am sorry because I always liked her company. 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 said.
