Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has accused JK Rowling of failing to defend him after he was cancelled over his gender critical views.
The Irishman, 57, told how he backed the author’s views on SNP‘s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which she previously dubbed ‘the biggest assault on the rights of Scottish women and girls’ in her lifetime.
But now, he claims she failed to defend his right to free speech when he received backlash over his comments regarding trans people, saying Rowling’s ‘silence’ made him feel ‘toxic’ and isolated.
Speaking with the Spiked Podcast, the creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd said the Harry Potter writer had ‘never mentioned’ him nor spoken in his defence.
Recalling when Rowling became embroiled in the row over SNP’s self identification reforms, he said he felt as though he could ‘finally relax’ and ‘fight back’ as someone was on his side.
‘And now her silence about me is just added to the feeling that, that I’ve done something wrong, that I’m toxic and I know I am toxic, but it’s not because I’ve done anything wrong,’ he said.
‘It’s because people, people like JK Rowling won’t stand up in defence of me. So it wasn’t just the [trans rights activist] side pushing me out.
‘It was a feeling of lack of solidarity and the kind of an embarrassment at my presence in the fight.’
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan (pictured) has accused JK Rowling of failing to defend him after he was cancelled over his gender critical views
He claims Rowling failed to defend his right to free speech when he received backlash over his comments regarding trans people, saying Rowling’s ‘silence’ made him feel ‘toxic’ and isolated
It comes after Rowling was vocal in her critics of SNPs reforms on gender self-identification which aimed to make the process for trans people to obtain legal gender recognition easier.
Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed in her new memoir that she experienced an influx of ‘vile abuse’ after the author posted a snap of herself in a t-shirt, which read: ‘Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of women’s rights.’
The ex-SNP politician alleged the incident made her feel at an increased risk of physical harm. Rowling claimed Sturgeon brazenly denied the reality of her views over transgenderism.
In 2023, an Edinburgh comedy show which starred Linehan was cancelled due to complaints, as well as the venue, Leith Arches, saying the comedian’s views didn’t align with their ‘overall values’.
In September, the 57-year-old is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court after pleading not guilty to criminal damage as well as harassment against transgender activist, Sophie Brooks.
He has denied both charges, which include, harassing the 18-year-old on social media last October, as well as damaging her phone in a ‘Battle of Ideas’ conference in London, where he was a speaker, in the same month.
The case is set to go to trial on September 4, of this year.
Following the court hearing in May, he claimed to have experienced abuse and threats after spending six years defending ‘the rights of women and children’.
The Daily Mail has approached JK Rowling for comment.
