Heartstopper star Sebastian Croft responds to backlash over involvement in Harry Potter video game
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Actor Sebastian Croft has responded to a backlash over his involvement in the Harry Potter video game Hogwarts Legacy.
The forthcoming game, which stars Croft in a leading role, has faced calls for a boycott over JK Rowling’s views on trans rights.
Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, has drawn criticism from LGBT+ fans and organisations over comments she has made regarding transgender rights. The author has denied accusations of transphobia.
Last week, it was announced that Croft would be voicing one of two playable characters in Hogwarts Legacy, a high-budget role-playing game set in the world of Harry Potter.
Croft is best known for starring in Heartstopper, a Netflix teen drama series that was celebrated for its LGBT+ representation and themes.
Responding to criticism surrounding his involvment in Hogwarts Legacy, Croft affirmed his support for trans rights.
“I was cast in this project over three years ago, back when all Harry Potter was to me, was the magical world I grew up with,” he wrote on Twitter. “This was long before I was aware of JK Rowling’s views.”
“I believe wholeheartedly that trans women are women and trans men are men,” he added. “I know far more now than I did three years ago, and hope to learn far more in the next three. I’m really sorry to anyone hurt by this announcement. There is no LGB without the T.”
Harry Potter star Harry Melling was recently asked about his thoughts on Rowling in an interview with The Independent.
“I can only speak for myself, and what I feel, to me, is very simple,” he says, “which is that transgender women are women and transgender men are men. Every single person has the right to choose who they are and to identify themselves as what’s true to themselves.
“I don’t want to join the debate of pointing fingers and saying, ‘That’s right, that’s wrong,’ because I don’t think I’m the correct spokesperson for that. But I do believe that everybody has the right to choose.”
