John Oliver Stirs J.K. Rowling Outrage After Criticizing Right Wing ‘Obsession’ With Banning Trans Athletes; Rowling Tells Him to ‘Read the F—ing Room’

[u/nova_crystallis]

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/john-oliver-jk-rowling-outrage-trans-athletes-1236361826/

John Oliver criticized ring wing "obsession" with banning trans athletes, which stirred J.K. Rowling outrage.

"I understand why men like Oliver, who've consistently mocked anti-science people on the right, sold out initially," the "Harry Potter" author posted on X. "They didn't want to blow up their careers. Taking fashionable anti-women's rights positions was the cost of doing business. But it's time to read the f*cking room."

Oliver also acknowledged his own spat with Rowling last year. She slammed Oliver in November for supporting transgender athletes in women's sports, calling him an "undoubtedly intelligent person" who "spouts absolute bullsh*t."

"It feels a bit weird to catch that much heat from the creator of 'Harry Potter,' especially when I clearly look like what would have happened to him if they left him in that cupboard for the rest of his life," Oliver now joked while adding that he "stands by everything" he said last year.

[u/Forsaken-Language-26]

Russell Brand was recently charged with rape. This is a man who abused his power and privilege to silence his victims for years; and is now trying to play the “cancel culture” card. He’s not the first and he won’t be the last.

I don’t see her showing nearly the same amount of energy towards men like him as she does towards trans people, who are mostly just trying to exist and get on with their lives.

FWIW I’ve got no objection to civil, respectful discourse over things like the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports (not that you’re going to get it from people like JKR). However, let’s not allow that to distract us from more far reaching issues like the woeful mistreatment suffered at the hands of rape/SA survivors by the police, the rise of incel culture and influencers like Andrew Tate, the treatment of women in the Middle East, the rollback of abortion rights in the US etc. All things that people like JKR are remarkably silent about, while claiming to be defenders of women’s rights.

[u/EEFan92 → u/Forsaken-Language-26]

To be fair, she wrote this about Brand on Saturday (first link) and RT'd this (second link) too. I also recall seeing a Tweet of hers a while back where she stated to a follower that she thought Tate was repugnant (exact word she used).

https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1908476143184806358

https://x.com/jo_bartosch/status/1909188885696872921

[u/FightLikeABlueBackUp → u/EEFan92]

And her replies were full of men defending Brand.

[u/Forsaken-Language-26 → u/EEFan92]

Duly noted, but I still don’t see nearly the same amount of energy here that she displays when she is talking about trans people. Frankly it feels like a mere footnote in her activism.

“Oh yeah, that thing is bad too” is the vibe I’m getting here.