Pedro Pascal slams “bully” J.K. Rowling’s “heinous loser behavior”
Pedro Pascal isn’t staying silent when it comes to J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans views. For him, it’s deeply personal. In a recent Vanity Fair cover story, the Last of Us actor called out Rowling’s “heinous loser behavior” after she posted a smug response to a controversial U.K. court ruling against transgender rights. Pascal, whose sister Lux is transgender, said he spoke up to protect his loved ones, and while the backlash gave him pause, he stood firm in his convictions.
Pascal responded after J.K. Rowling celebrated an anti-trans court ruling
The controversy reignited after Rowling posted a celebratory photo holding a cigar and drink in response to the U.K. Supreme Court’s ruling that transgender women and men are not legally recognized as their gender under the Equality Act. That post prompted Pascal to speak out publicly in April, calling her reaction "heinous loser behavior."
Though his comment went viral, Pascal admitted to Vanity Fair that the backlash momentarily took him back to being "that kid that got sent to the principal’s office." Still, he stood firm. "The one thing that I would say I agonized over a little bit was just, 'Am I helping?' It’s a situation that deserves the utmost elegance so that something can actually happen… but it goes beyond that."
"Listen, I want to protect the people I love," he went on. "But it goes beyond that. Bullies make me f***ing sick.”
His sister Javiera supported his comments. She told Vanity Fair, "He said that as the older brother to someone saying that our little sister doesn’t exist." That perspective hit home for many fans who saw Pascal’s words not as celebrity drama, but rather as a heartfelt family defense.
The internet backs Pascal's support of the LGBTQ+ community
Some critics attempted to discredit Pascal by sharing a clip of him holding Fantastic Four co-star Vanessa Kirby’s hand. However, Kirby herself shut down the narrative. "We were both incredibly nervous," she explained, adding that Pascal’s gesture was supportive, not inappropriate. "I found it a lovely gesture."
Reactions to Pascal's Vanity Fair cover story across social media were mixed. Many hateful comments were posted about the actor, while others appreciated his support and defense of the LGBTQ community.
"Holy sh*t, protect Pedro Pascal. Openly supportive of LGBTQ+ people and he stands up to airheads like Druckmann and Rowling directly?" @adriquelle.bsky.social posted on BlueSky. "I’m aware that’s the baseline, but like… the bar is underground."
Pascal wasn’t alone in voicing outrage over the ruling or Rowling’s response. Stars like the original Harry Potter trio, as well as Eddie Redmayne and, most recently, Sir Stephen Fry, have spoken out against Rowling's transphobic rhetoric.
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