Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes have more in common than just playing evil wizards Bellatrix and Voldemort in the Harry Potter film franchise: They have also both recently defended Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has come under fire for repeated comments in recent years that many have perceived as transphobic.
In October, Ralph said that the “abuse” Rowling receives is “appalling.” In a new interview with The Times, Helena added her voice to support Rowling.
“It’s horrendous, a load of bollocks. I think she has been hounded,” Bonham Carter said of the popular reaction to Rowling’s comments. “It’s been taken to the extreme, the judgmentalism of people. She’s allowed her opinion, particularly if she’s suffered abuse. Everybody carries their own history of trauma and forms their opinions from that trauma, and you have to respect where people come from and their pain. You don’t all have to agree on everything — that would be insane and boring. She’s not meaning it aggressively, she’s just saying something out of her own experience.”
When asked about other franchise stars who have spoken out against Rowling’s statements—including Daniel Radcliffe, who wrote a blog post for LGBTQ advocacy organization the Trevor Project in response — Helena said, “I think they’re very aware of protecting their own fan base and their generation.”
What precedent has it set for survivors of domestic abuse?
She also threw her support behind another controversial figure with ties to the Potter universe: Johnny Depp. She said that she considers him “completely vindicated” since his defamation suit win against ex-wife Amber Heard. Johnny is godfather to Helena Bonham Carter’s two children with former partner Tim Burton, and Helena and Johnny have starred in several Burton projects together. “People will jump on the bandwagon because it’s the trend and to be the poster girl for it,” she said of Amber Heard and the #MeToo movement.
She also shared her thoughts about cancel culture, saying, “There would be millions of people who if you looked closely enough at their personal life you would disqualify them. You can’t ban people. I hate cancel culture. It has become quite hysterical and there’s a kind of witch hunt and a lack of understanding.”
This article originally appeared on Vanity Fair.
