Harry Potter actress criticised by trans activists for taking role
Michelle Gomez, who has been cast as Professor McGonagall in the upcoming venture, came under fire for choosing to work on one of the latest ventures based on JK Rowling's novels.
Social media users criticised the former Doctor Who star amid claims she is taking sides in the gender rights debate in which Rowling has played a pivotal role. The author has received abuse and even death threats for expressing her opinion that sex is immutable.
Gomez, 58, has now issued a statement responding to the criticism she has faced. It reads: 'To my LGBTQ+ fans, and especially the trans community. I want to speak directly to the concerns that have been raised about my involvement in this project.
'I hear you, and I understand why this is painful for many. I want to be clear that I stand with trans people, and I support trans rights – fully and without hesitation.
'When I accepted this role, I did so as someone who has always loved the stories and what they meant to so many – especially those who found comfort and identity in that world. I now understand more clearly how deeply complicated and hurtful this association can feel, and I take that seriously.
'Being an ally means listening even when it's uncomfortable and taking accountability where it's needed. I'm committed to doing both.'
Rowling's views have caused Harry Potter stars including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson to turn on her in recent years.
Radcliffe stated in 2020 he was 'deeply sorry for all the pain' caused by Rowling's comments on transgender issues.
Meanwhile, Watson posted on X: 'Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are.'
However, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Potter films, said of Rowling: 'The only thing I always remind myself is that I've been lucky enough to travel the world… and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter.'
And she's responsible for that, so I'm incredibly grateful.' The actor was called 'spineless' for expressing gratitude to Rowling.
And in June, Sir Stephen Fry, who narrated all seven of the original Harry Potter audiobooks, claimed Rowling has been 'radicalised' and is 'a lost cause'.
Rowling hailed the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in April that transgender women are not legally women, posting a picture of herself on a yacht enjoying a drink and a cigar in celebration.
Last week, the author called for a boycott of Marks & Spencer after it was claimed that a trans employee asked a 14-year-old girl if she needed any help in the bra section.
Gomez joins Hugh Laurie and Matthew Macfadyen in the new full-cast Audible series based on the Harry Potter novels.
Laurie, star of US medical drama House and the former comedy partner of Sir Stephen Fry, said he was 'honoured' to be chosen to portray Dumbledore in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Yungblud says Ozzy Osbourne 'meant everything to him' and admits the Black Sabbath star's death was 'overwhelming' after hearing the news while 'cut off on an island with no internet connection'
Yungblud tearfully revealed that the late Ozzy Osbourne 'meant everything to him' in a new interview this week. The English singer-songwriter had a very strong relationship with Ozzy, who he first met in 2022, and it appeared that their relationship grew into an almost father-son type bond. Yungblud, whose real name is Dominic Harrison, reportedly gave a touching reading at The Black Sabbath frontman's funeral, after his death aged 76 on July 22. He also performed at the Black Sabbath star's farewell gig at Birmingham 's Villa Park in June amid Ozzy's ailing health. And speaking to The Times this week Yungblud, 28, told how his death has felt 'overwhelming' after finding out the sad news after being cut off on an island without internet where he was recording new music. He told the publication: 'I told a friend that I thought Ozzy had another five albums in him. And then he did the show and then he died. It's so overwhelming.' Holding back tears he added: 'I just love him and right till the very end he supported me. I get emotional, because I've loved him since I was about two. 'He taught me self-belief and so I'm going to take his spirit and make sure everybody knows for the rest of my life who Ozzy Osbourne was - he meant everything to me.' Earlier this month Yungblud shared a picture of the gift the rocker gave him before he died, hours after he gave a reading at the funeral at his home in Buckinghamshire. He took to Instagram to share a close-up snap of the cross necklace Ozzy gifted him in 2022, during the filming of his The Funeral music video. Yungblud later returned the favour by gifting Ozzy a custom-made cross necklace before Black Sabbath's final show at Villa Park in Birmingham. He wrote in the caption: 'goodnight oz. your light will forever shine. I love you,' with fans noting in the caption that Ozzy has 'passed the torch of darkness on' to Yungblud. Yungblud previously revealed that the gift from Ozzy was the 'most precious thing' as he paid a 'truly heartbroken' tribute to the rocker. The singer performed Changes at Black Sabbath's final concert and has vowed to play it for Ozzy going forward. Speaking to The Times this week Yungblud, 28, told how his death has felt 'overwhelming'. Yungblud and Sharon pictured together at the Rolling Stone UK Awards in 2023 Rock legend Ozzy was buried in the grounds of his own mansion in Buckinghamshire - as he had said he desired. His widow Sharon, 72, and their children were joined by heavy rock royalty at the event at the family's home near Gerrards Cross, where he was being laid to rest near a lake at the heart of the sprawling 250-acre estate. Marilyn Manson led the stars arriving at Ozzy 's private funeral as the heavy metal icon was laid to rest. Following the funeral Marilyn took to Instagram as he penned: 'Today we laid to rest a beloved friend. I am eternally grateful that you let me into your life Ozzy. 'Your inspiration and love will always be with me. Thank you Sharon and family for a reverent, beautiful ceremony. Your legacy lives on.' Guests also included Manson's wife Lindsay Usich and Ozzy's lead guitarist Zakk Wylde. Ozzy took to the stage for his farewell concert at Villa Park stadium in his native Birmingham less than three weeks before his death - reuniting with his original Black Sabbath bandmates for the first time since 2005. More than 42,000 fans packed into the venue for the Back To The Beginning show, during which he told the crowd in his final speech: 'You've no idea how I feel - thank you from the bottom of my heart.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks. He had told of it being his last performance due to his health, having opened up about his battle with Parkinson's in 2020. He is survived by his wife Sharon and his five children Jessica, Louis, Aimee, Kelly and Jack.
The Review Geek
2 hours ago
- The Review Geek
Mafia: The Old Country Guide: 'Chapter 4 – Il Barone' Walkthrough & Collectibles
Mafia: The Old Country Guide: Chapter 4 – Il Barone Chapter 4 of Mafia: Old Country picks up in 1905. When you begin, head over and grab a horse from the stables. When you open the menu, scroll across to the Saddle options and choose Polio Tack to unlock the Achievement: Riding in Style. You don't have to stick with this Saddle and can switch it back if you wish, but this is one of the simpler trophies you can get almost immediately here. You can also choose to customize your Horse here with Dinari, granting extra Spurs or a different appearance entirely, but the default horse should suffice. Ride to the ruins with Isabella Back to top ↑ Once you're ready, ride with Isabella until you stop the first time. You'll need to help the boys out with their car, so approach the front and hit X to crank it for Gennaro until you're ready to move on again. The second stop with the priest you don't need to get off your horse. Eventually you'll come to a race section. Race with Isabella The race with Isabella is quite straightforward and the same tactics you used in chapter 2 will also work here too. Use Spurs during straight sections of the countryside to speed up, and cut the corners whenever you turn left or right. You don't gain anything by winning or losing (except bragging rights) but eventually you'll ride on together to the next area. Join Isabella on the overlook Back to top ↑ Eventually you'll reach the overlook with Isabella, where you'll be shown how to use the Camera. This is the first Photograph you'll get automatically and the tutorial will help show how to line up the shot just right. To get the right focus and exposure, you need to make sure the arrows turn Yellow. When you do, snap the photo for your journal. Ride to the ruins with Isabella When that's done, follow Isabella to the ruins where a cutscene will trigger. With Gennaro and Isabella off together, it's time to go for a ride with Luca. Just as you did before, crank the car again and we'll be back on our way. You'll now have a driving tutorial and will end up driving round the ruins twice. On the second circuit, you'll need to race back to the ruins for a shootout. Get to the temple Back to top ↑ The shootout here is relatively straightforward, but from here on out, it's a good idea to try and get as many headshots as you can for the Achievement: Cold-Blooded, which requires 30 headshot takedowns on enemies. The rifle is a great option for this. Work your way through the temple ruins but do note that if you hug the right side of the arena (from your starting position and the opposite side to the marked location) you'll find a workbench tucked under a large tarp which holds a Trinacria on (pictured below). After dispatching all the soldiers, head for the marked spot on your screen to trigger another cutscene and a chase sequence. Pursue the bandits Back to top ↑ Now you'll be driving with Enzo after Isabella and will need to shoot the kidnappers as they race away. Watch out for the parts of the road that are burned or columns destroyed as you drive. Eventually you'll come to a corner where you'll need to take a left turn and will find the yellow marker right in front of you. Don't brake at the corner and keep your finger pressed on the accelerator. As you descend the hill you'll do so at speed, and as you jump off the edge of the path into the air, you'll manage to go at enough speed to get some airtime and nab the Achievement: Daredevil for jumping the car over 40 meters. This chase sequence does go on for a while and after hopping aboard your horse, you'll need to chase after Isabella while on horseback. This is less about getting Isabella and more about taking out the pursuing attackers so keep going and don't fret if the wagon gets too far away. Keep using your spur on the straight sections of the path too and fire at the bandits as they get close on horseback. Eventually this section will trigger another cutscene. Find Gennaro Back to top ↑ When you take control of Enzo, Charm: Fantasma will be resting on the wall right in front of you. This dampens your footsteps and makes you harder to detect, and as stealth will serve you well in this first area, I'd recommend equipping it for the time being. You can go in all-guns blazing if you want, but as some levels require you to keep to stealth for Achievements, this is a great opportunity to test those skills out. From your starting position, descend down into the camp via the right path. Take out the guard in front of you after the second guard moves away, then keep crouched and continue moving toward the marker on the right. At this point there should be two guards patrolling back and forth. If you take either of these guys out, it's a good idea to move the bodies out of sight, preferably in the cave you originally entered into this area from. There's a blue box there you can stuff enemy soldiers inside. Hug the rock wall to your right and then circle around and enter the next cave. Follow the route with the orange torches, up the stairs, and stealthily take out any soldiers in your way until you climb some stairs. Keep following the torches and you'll come to a large cave with a ton of enemies inside. You can do this bit stealthily but it'll take a while. Alternatively, there's a rifle overlooking the top of an enemy camp that you can use to dispatch these guys. On one of the tables in the middle of the camp you'll find the Newspaper: Russo-Japanese War collectible (pictured above). This is also missable so you need to make sure you pick that up while you're here! Exit the cave and follow the path up. However, on the way you'll find an enemy soldier moving to the left and a path overlooking a beautiful view. You'll also find a Mystery Fox here, just to the right of the campfire. Regardless of if you've done the whole section stealthily or not, at the top of this path you'll need to attack the soldiers that arrive and take them out. Keep moving through the area and at the end of this path, you'll find Gennaro. However, just before interacting with him, be sure to check left of the campfire to grab the Charm: San Giuda pick-up. Find a way out of the camp Untie Gennaro and then follow the path all the way up to the marker. Hop over the fence and you'll have another fight on your hands. Knife Fight – Messina Back to top ↑ Messina is a tough cookie but the rules here are largely the same and don't differ too much from previous fights. Be patient, use parries wisely and counterattack when you can. Don't lunge in too aggressively and bide your time to hit him where it hurts. Eventually Messina will go down and it'll trigger another cutscene to end the chapter. For completing this section, you'll nab the Achievement: A Trip to the Coast.
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
The 8 best shows to see at the Edinburgh Art Festival 2025
All human life is at the Edinburgh festivals (sometimes, walking on the Royal Mile, it feels as if that's literally the case). It has never been entirely clear to me why they all happen at the same time, the Fringe and the International Festival crashing into the film, book, TV and art jamborees every August, but one advantage for the Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF) is that it can provide a welcome respite from the noise. As a body that commissions work and provides an umbrella for exhibitions that would be happening anyway, the EAF can feel frustratingly disparate (and the website is maddening), but there is still much to enjoy. Of the commissions this year, Lewis Hetherington and CJ Mahoney's delicate film about queer Scottish lives obscured through history is the strongest, and can be found in the festival pavilion at 45 Leith Street, a disused office building given over to artists' studios (some are open to visitors on certain dates). • Edinburgh Festival 2025: the best shows to see this year And as ever, slipping into a gallery and shifting your mindset for an hour or so, especially if you've spent the past few hours being aggressively entertained, is always worthwhile. Here are the top shows. ★★★★☆A fascinating exhibition that uses fabulous paintings, books, jewellery and other objects to reveal a man about whom English audiences at least may have a pretty fuzzy idea, overshadowed as he has been by the travails of his descendants (especially Charles I and II) and his mother (Mary, Queen of Scots). It reveals a complex, intelligent, devoutly religious king scarred by childhood trauma but given to breathtaking arrogance; a dog lover, fashion plate and patron of the arts who hated smoking almost as much as he hated witches, and who managed to hold together two fractious nations, but had a weakness for pretty young Galleries, Scotland: Portrait, to Sep 14, ★★★☆☆Curated by the IKEA Museum in Almhult, Sweden, this jolly exhibition traces the early development of the massive interiors brand's textile division and highlights the designers behind some of its most popular fabrics (such as Inez Svensson's banana print — a nice detail is that when she died in 2005 she requested her coffin be draped in it). It's really only mildly interesting, but it's enjoyable, and does make you want to buy new cushions. Dovecot Studios, to Jan 17, • Edinburgh festivals 2025: the best theatre, music and dance shows ★★★★★It's rare to see Andy Goldsworthy's work inside a gallery — mostly he makes it in the landscape, out of natural materials, then leaves it to the mercies of nature, often to disappear altogether. This poetic, gently witty, quietly magical show includes photography and video documentation of some of his more ephemeral works, as well as objects and large installations that recognise and pay tribute to our integral relationship with the land. With works ranging from an elegiac room of stones displaced by human burials to vast paintings made by the muddy feet of hungry sheep, it's a strangely touching experience that makes you want to immediately tramp up Arthur's Seat, fires permitting, and hold your arms Scottish Academy, to Nov 2, ★★★★☆With their quiet clarity, soft palette and domestic focus, the paintings of the Philadelphia-based artist Aubrey Levinthal feel familiar in a way that is comforting yet disquieting. Revolving around life with her husband, son and friends, they are full of relatable detail that you rarely see in painting — a Tupperware containing the remnants of lunch; the startling black of a laptop screen reflecting an overhead light; a charger; discarded hoop earrings; an escapist scribble of spaghetti; drooping houseplants; children clustering around an iPad. She skilfully evokes, too, the solitude that comes with the territory of artist — and motherhood. Don't miss her prints in the hallway of the gallery, or the small exhibition upstairs of gorgeous canvases by Mia Kokkoni, a recent graduate based in Gallery, to Sep 13, • Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025: the best comedy shows to see ★★★★☆The glorious sculpture park of Jupiter Artland is always worth visiting, but every summer a couple of new commissions are presented there, and the standout this year is the film-maker Guy Oliver's new piece, Millennial Prayer. Looking back at the day we briefly thought the clocks were going to stop, this hour-long, highly entertaining exploration of a cultural moment that was hugely significant and a complete damp squib wields deadpan humour to create a nonchalantly acute social Artland, to Sep 28, ★★★★☆Exquisitely made and totally compelling, this exhibition by the Egyptian artist Wael Shawky centres on two films about politics and history. The two-hour epic (part of a trilogy) Cabaret Crusades III: The Secrets of Karbala uses intricate glass marionettes, some of which are on display ('We are all like marionettes, manipulated by forces we cannot see,' he says), to give an Arab perspective on the context and motivation underpinning the Crusades. The strange but stunning Drama 1882 is an operatic rendition of Egypt's abortive nationalist Urabi revolution against imperial rule, undermined by the British to protect its interests in the region and leading to Britain's occupation of Egypt until 1956. Most visitors won't sit through them, but they're really worth your time. Talbot Rice Gallery, to Sep 28, • Read more art reviews, guides and interviews ★★★★☆At the heart of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith House feels like an oddly appropriate location for this 50-year survey of work by the post-punk feminist artist Linder, who often draws on floral imagery to wittily subvert the tropes of femininity. Her scalpel-sharp, surgically executed photomontages critique conventional assumptions about gender and sexuality. From soft porn spliced with images of domestic appliances to photographs of the working-class drag clubs of 1970s Manchester, she kicks hard and precisely where it hurts. Inverleith House, to Oct 19, ★★★☆☆Mike Nelson creates immersive environments from salvaged materials that are stuffed with cultural references. They're not always easy to read, and this, a study in the politics of construction and destruction across all three gallery spaces, is no different — the short film upstairs, in which he reluctantly explains where he's coming from, is by far the most helpful place to start. Based on two sets of photographs — one of Mardin, a predominantly Kurdish city in Turkey that was at the time in a remarkable state of infrastructural redevelopment, and one of an unnamed London housing estate in the last silent days before its destruction — it's a cumulative experience that is more poetic and atmospheric than expressive. Make sure you visit the warehouse section of the gallery (through the café, then through a big metal door) or you'll be to Oct 5, Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews
