Overview

• In a June 24 Vanity Fair cover story, Pedro Pascal condemned Rowling’s celebration of the ruling as “heinous LOSER behavior” and said “bullies make me f—ing sick” in defense of transgender people.
• Rowling retorted on X with a mocking message saying “Can’t say I feel very shut down, but keep at it, Pedro. God loves a trier.”
• Tennis legend Martina Navratilova joined Rowling’s side by tweeting that Pascal was “another Johnny come lately telling women to STFU.”
• The dispute began after Rowling applauded the UK Supreme Court’s April decision to limit the legal definition of “woman” to biological sex, excluding transgender women under the Equality Act.
• Pascal’s advocacy is shaped by his transgender sister Lux and has included calls for boycotts of Rowling’s projects and fundraising initiatives like the “Protect the Dolls” T-shirt.