Game of Thrones actor refuses to back down after branding Harry Potter author ‘disgusting’ – as his trans sister Lux defends him against backlash
He’s battled White Walkers in Westeros and faced down emperors in ancient Rome – but Pedro Pascal’s latest fight is with the world’s most famous children’s author.
The Hollywood heavyweight has sensationally doubled down on his explosive attack against JK Rowling, refusing to apologise for branding her a “heinous loser” over her gender-critical views.
In a defiant new interview with Vanity Fair, the 50-year-old Gladiator II star declared that “bullies make me f***ing sick” – making it crystal clear he’s not backing down from his war of words with the Harry Potter creator.
The Chilean-American actor, whose younger sister Lux transitioned in 2021, first ignited the feud in April when he enthusiastically backed calls to boycott all things Potter-related.
Instagram ignites the inferno
The drama kicked off when activist Tariq Ra’ouf posted a video urging fans to ensure “every single thing that’s Harry Potter related fails” because of what he called Rowling’s “awful disgusting s**t.
Pascal didn’t just like the post – he went full throttle, commenting: “Awful disgusting S**T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.”
The backlash was swift and brutal, with critics accusing the actor of misogyny for attacking a woman. But rather than retreat, Pascal has now gone on the offensive.
‘What’d I do?’ The principal’s office panic
Speaking to Vanity Fair, the star admitted the controversy initially left him feeling like a naughty schoolboy caught red-handed.
That kid that got sent to the principal’s office a lot for behavioural issues in public schools in Texas feeling scared and thinking, ‘What’d I do?'” he confessed.
But any regrets were short-lived. Pascal’s main worry wasn’t about offending Rowling – it was whether his outburst might have damaged the trans rights cause he’s championing.
“The one thing that I would say I agonized over a little bit was just, ‘Am I helping? Am I f***ing helping?'” he revealed.
Sister act: Lux leaps to his defence
Enter Pascal’s older sister Balmaceda, who wasn’t having any of the criticism directed at her brother.
“But it IS heinous loser behavior,” she told Vanity Fair, defending the inflammatory language. “And he said that as the older brother to someone saying that our little sister doesn’t exist.”
The family solidarity is touching – and reveals just how personal this battle has become for the Pascal clan.
The Rowling revolution
Meanwhile, Rowling continues to stand firm on her position. The 59-year-old multi-millionaire celebrated with champagne and cigars aboard her superyacht when London’s Supreme Court ruled that “woman” legally means biological female under Britain’s Equality Act.
She’s faced down criticism from former friends including Stephen Fry, who recently branded her a “lost cause” and accused her of being “radicalised by TERFs” (trans-exclusionary radical feminists).
Even the young actors who played Harry, Ron and Hermione – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson – have distanced themselves from their literary mother figure.
Hollywood’s new battleground
Pascal’s stance reflects a growing divide in Tinseltown over trans rights. Earlier this year, he shared an Instagram post declaring: “A world without trans people has never existed and never will.”
His caption pulled no punches: “I can’t think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorising the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist.”
The actor has previously spoken movingly about his “lethal” protective instinct towards his sister Lux, 32, while also praising her as one of the “most powerful people” he’s ever known.
No backing down
As the culture wars rage on, Pascal shows no signs of softening his stance. His final words to Vanity Fair make his position abundantly clear: “Listen, I want to protect the people I love. But it goes beyond that.”
With both camps digging in deeper, this Hollywood-Hogwarts showdown shows no signs of ending anytime soon. One thing’s certain – this Mandalorian isn’t removing his helmet in this fight.
For Rowling, who’s weathered countless storms since first expressing her views, it’s just another day at the office. For Pascal, it’s a hill he’s clearly willing to die on.
As the battle lines are drawn ever sharper, fans on both sides are left wondering: in this real-life drama, who will emerge victorious when the final credits roll?
