Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan slams new Harry Potter series amid J.K. Rowling's transphobic comments

22 April 2025, 15:49

By Sam Prance

HBO's Harry Potter series has faced backlash over J.K. Rowling's transphobia and Nicola Coughlan is calling it out.

Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan has criticised HBO's Harry Potter series saying she wouldn't "touch it with a 10ft pole".

Ever since HBO first announced that they were making a Harry Potter series, the show has been mired in controversy. The adaptation is being made with the direct involvement of author J.K. Rowling. In recent years, J.K. has repeatedly used her platform to spew transphobia; she's lost fans and many people have distanced themselves from her.

Just this past week, J.K. has come under fire for her support of a new UK Supreme Court ruling that legally says that the definition of a woman is a based on biological sex instead of gender. J.K. has been seen actively celebrating the ruling on social media where she's been misgendering trans people and even making fun of them.

Now, Nichola Coughlan has spoken out against J.K. and the Harry Potter series and raised money for a trans charity.

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On 19th April, Nicola shared a The Cut article to her Instagram stories titled: "This is a new low for JK Rowling". In the piece, staff-writer Emily Leibert wrote: "Celebrating the erasure of an entire group of women in such self-indulgent fashion feels extra evil". Nicola added: "Keep your new Harry Potter lads. Wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole".

In the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling, Nicola took to Instagram to share a video. The actress said: "Like many people, I'm completely horrified by the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday about trans people and to see an already marginalised community being further attacked in law is really stomach-churning and disgusting."

Appearing to reference celebrities like J.K. Rowling, she then added: "To see people celebrate it is more stomach-churning and disgusting."

Nicola also started a fundraiser for the trans charity Not a Phase where she raised over $156,000.

Nicola isn't the only celebrity who's taken a stance against J.K.'s transphobic views. Past Harry Potter cast members, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all spoken out in support of trans people.

Back in 2020, Daniel Radcliffe tweeted: "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people."

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