Bel Powley, one of the stars of the upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series, spoke out against J.K. Rowling’s controversial transgender beliefs.
“I strongly disagree with J.K. Rowling’s views on gender,” Powley told The Telegraph in an interview published Monday.
She added, “I think that the trans community deserves safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance.”
However, Powley, 34, noted she’s still a big fan of Rowling’s fantasy franchise.
“I love ‘Harry Potter.’ I grew up with the books,” she shared. “I am from that first generation of readers and, again, I love magic and spookiness.”
Page Six has reached out to Rowling’s rep for comment.
Powley is playing Aunt Petunia Dursley in the new TV adaptation of Rowling’s book series, which premieres on Christmas.
The cast also includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost as Hagrid.
Rowling — an executive producer on the show — has sparked backlash for her views on the transgender community over the years.
In May 2025, the 61-year-old author penned a scathing essay when multiple “Harry Potter” actors signed a pro-trans open letter after the UK Supreme Court ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” refer strictly to a biological woman and biological sex.
She described the actors — among them being Essiedu, Eddie Redmayne and Katie Leung — as “back-stabbing colleagues” who she said are “motivated by fear.”
Rowling has also feuded online with Emma Watson, who played Hermione in the “Harry Potter” movies, over her transgender views.
But some “Harry Potter” actors have stuck up for Rowling, with Lithgow telling the New Yorker Radio Hour in April that Rowling’s views have been “twisted and misrepresented.”
The 80-year-old Oscar nominee also revealed he was urged to step away from the TV series, but he refused.
“I just felt the reasons to do it were much, much stronger than the reasons to protest against what Rowling has done and said,” he said.
Lithgow did, however, note he “does disagree with much of” Rowling’s beliefs.
The new “Harry Potter” series will debut on Christmas Day 2026 on HBO and stream on HBO Max.
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