WB’s ‘Harry Potter’ actor condemns J.K. Rowling’s ‘disgusting’ reason for celebration – will he be fired?

After learning that John Lithgow ditched a very good friend, a mother of a trans child, and shamelessly sidelined her plea to not align himself with J.K. Rowling and her destructive agenda against the transgender community, the fandom didn’t have much hope from the rest of the cast. Why would they, when it could endanger their hefty paychecks? But someone didn’t care and chose to stand up for what is right.

A big section of the fandom – which chose toxicity – had been bashing Warner Bros and specifically, actor Paapa Essiedu for playing Professor Severus Snape and claiming the authenticity of the adaptation has been compromised by casting a black actor. But Esseidu has paid no attention to these comments, just like he didn’t spare a second of hesitation before openly condemning and slamming the U.K. Supreme Court’s recent ruling that transgender women and men are not legally women and men by signing an open letter that also has the support of 400 other actors. 

His brazen step comes mere days after Rowling sent a ripple of unease across social media by celebrating the U.K. court’s decision, even prompting the normally calm and collected Pedro Pascal to call out her “disgusting” antics.

So, what does Paapa Essiedu’s future look like?

Rowling’s penchant for threatening and even suing those who go up against her transphobic rhetoric has left many questioning whether Essiedu’s role as Snape is still safe now that he is publicly against the very movement that the author has been supporting, even at the cost of losing a big chunk of a once loyal fandom. 

But, to the surprise of many, Rowling:

1. Does not have the power to fire the actor.
2. Has morals remaining that would have allegedly stopped her even if she did have the ability to send the actor packing.

Shocking, right?

So, for now, her anger – in the world of the Harry Potter franchise – seems limited to the former stars of the Wizarding World who did not hold back their disdain and criticism when they slammed the author for her dated and derogatory views. Though not one of them – Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Matthew Lewis, etc – has expressed the desire to ever apologize, Rowling has already ordered them to “save their apologies.”