What did Brian Cox say about JK Rowling? Succession star sparks controversy with mistreatment claim

Scottish actor Brian Cox sparked controversy online after he defended disgraced author JK Rowling's comments.

While appearing on the latest episode of BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the 76-year-old star was asked about the TERF controversy surrounding the Harry Potter author.

Rowling has been labeled "TERF," which is an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist. She first gained negative attention for her comments when she mocked an article for using the phrase "people who menstruate" instead of "women."

She then published an article titled "JK Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking Out on S*x and Gender Issues," and faced severe backlash online from the trans community and others.

The actor, who stars in the HBO series Succession defended JK Rowling's comments by stating:

“I don’t like the way she has been treated, actually. I think she’s entitled to her opinion, she’s entitled to say what she feels, as a woman, she’s very much entitled to say what she feels about her own body. There’s nobody better to say as a woman. So I do feel that people have been a bit high and mighty about their attitude towards JK Rowling, quite frankly.”

Twitter reacts to Brian Cox defending JK Rowling

After Brian Cox's comments defending JK Rowling went viral online, the Twitterati was left furious. Several users pointed out how the author has been insensitive towards the trans community and slammed him for supporting her transphobic thoughts.

Others stated that although some of the "misogynistic slurs" JK Rowling received were unacceptable, she went against the trans community and should face condemnation for the same.

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Screenshot of a Twitter user criticizing Cox's comments.

Brian Cox previously defended JK Rowling in 2022

This is not the first time that Brian Cox has defended JK Rowling, even though the two have opposing views on the transgender community.

According to Metro UK, in May 2022, Brian Cox commented on the backlash that Rowling has been facing and called it "something deeply unjust."

He said:

"It is happening time and time again. It is not only the people who are cancelled. It is also people like their families, like their children, like their parents. It has such ramifications. It creates like an earthquake situation."

Dubbing the cancelation of JK Rowling as "total fascism," Cox added:

"The hypocritical notion of 'I am being liberal' but actually you are being fascist and people should just stop it and behave themselves."

In his recent interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Cox said he was "proud" of Scotland's gender bill.

He mentioned:

“I’m very proud of Scotland for doing the gender identification act because I think that’s long needed and it’s a debate that has to happen."

The aim of the Scotland Gender Bill is to streamline and improve the procedure through which trans individuals can have their gender legally recognized.

Born on June 1, 1946, Brian Cox is a native of Dundee, United Kingdom. He began his on-screen acting career in 1965 by appearing in the television series, The Wednesday Play, as Nelson.

Since then, he has starred in several films and series like ITV Playhouse, Doomwatch, BBC Play of the Month, The Master of Ballantrae, The Devil's Crown, King Lear, The Deliberate Death of a Polish Priest, Perfect Scoundrels, Braveheart, The Affair of the Necklace, The Flying Scotsman, The Good Heart, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Shetland, and more.

He is best known for starring as Logan Roy in HBO's Succession.

Edited by Adelle Fernandes