Helena Bonham Carter speaks up for JKR

I agree with you. And I thought her comments on JKR amounted to "blaming" her perfectly sound and sensible opinions on "trauma".

I think Helena is absolutely wonderful. I don't think it's a stretch to see that she shares the same beliefs as JKR - but the point she was trying to make was that the treatment of JKR for expressing views has been horrendous. And while she's careful not to pile onto the younger cast members from HP, I think there's subtle shade there regarding them "protecting their fan base".

She's never been one to particularly insert herself into the limelight but she's remained a supporter of Johnny Depp even before he won his case against Amber Heard.

Having watched that court case, I find it utterly incredible that anyone still believes Amber Heard. The UK case against The Sun was only "proven" because her testimony was accepted as being truthful, which is now known not to be the case. I do think Depp is misogynistic and a nightmare partner, but that's not on trial. The lengths people go to trying to make Amber Heard's story credible just beggars belief. There's no way people would be carrying out the same mental gymnastics if the roles were reversed.

But back to Helena, I think she's very quintessentially British with the stereotypical knack for understatement. I think she's down to earth, savvy and doesn't have any time for self-indulgence. I quite liked her side-swipe at the last two Prime Ministers too!

I think HBC is stunningly beautiful and if I could look like anyone in the world it would be her. That's rather shallow, I know.

But I have always been disappointed on reading any interviews or articles about her. She always strikes me as slightly vacuous - I don't think she has much of interest to say. Her comment about JKR is actually rather wishy-washy.

All she can say about Johnny Depp is "I think he's fine now"?

She says something else that irritates me in that article too - she never left her kids alone at home until they were 14? Isn't that a bit odd. Or a lie.

Heard continues to be pilloried, months after the trial’s end but, as Bonham Carter told The Times, the US defamation verdict seems to have “completely vindicated” Depp. The televised trial exposed the filth that the actor was swimming in – the obscene text messages, the intimidating, aggressive behaviour, the casual racism and misogyny – but Bonham Carter seems unperturbed by it. She told The Times: “I think he’s fine now. Totally fine.”

It feels to me like a kick to women’s collective solar plexus for Bonham Carter to refer to #MeToo as a “bandwagon”. As if the harassment and abuse of women is the latest craze, like laminated eyebrows or structured maxi skirts. “That’s the problem with these things – that people will jump on the bandwagon because it’s the trend and to be the poster girl for it.”

Yes, Helena. That’s right. Because the dream of every little girl is that one day, she too, can be the poster girl for intimate partner violence.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/helena-bonham-carter-johnny-depp-amber-heard-b2234371.html

(Perhaps actors and actresses should remember they have got fame for speaking other people's words, not their own.)

Yep.

We don't need to be grateful for the faint praise of celebrities.

I don't actually give a hoot what some actress says or thinks on the issue. We know how brave, honest, compassionate and insightful JKR is; the performative media circus has just very little relevance to the truth of the matter.

Woody Allen shouldn't have been lumped together with Weinstein and Polanski. Here's what his son wrote about the accusations: mosesfarrow.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-son-speaks-out-by-moses-farrow.html

Noooo, what she's doing is defending Polanski, Weinstein and Allen. And Depp. She is bang out of order and a rape apologist. Right there.

I've always liked her.

I like the fact that she has opinions, whether others agree or not. Hasn't JKR also defended Depp? And Kate Moss. None of them needed to. He attracts loyalty from people who knew him well. Whatever we think of him, I don't think we should think less of them.

She was being interviewed as the new President of the London Library (a fantastic place by the way) and so is speaking about books, thought and educaiton. Her point about not slamming others in the public eye is a good one. She will know that there are pressures on people like Radcliffe, who I note has a lead role in an upcoming Sondheim musical on Broadway.

Good summary.

Ultimately I’m only really interested in what any famous person is best known for, which in her case is her acting, and she is a unique presence on screen. It is a nice bonus though when they use their voice on issues such as cancel culture and it’s damaging effects. Regards Depp, I don’t see her as defending him just because he is popular with the public and Heard is generally reviled, I think it’s more down to her knowing him so well so understandably she is supportive of him (likewise Kate Moss). Not knowing him I thought both him and Heard were as bad as each other (the tapes played in court where Heard instigated fights effectively ruined her) but I wouldn’t expect my views to align with hers on this.

Yes I was coming to say that. He's not been vindicated at all!
Calling his ex 'my ex-cunt', threatening to rape his dead wife's corpse to make sure she was really dead, attempting to release naked pictures of her during the trial, not to mention the fact that some of his staff couldn't deny some instances of alleged violence...

She's always like this, kind of disappointing. She is mates with the Camerons and reminds me of Sam with her careful tiptoeing around never committing, always remaining beautiful, fragrant and appropriate in all companies.

'It’s hard. One thing with the fame game is that there’s an etiquette that comes with it; I don’t agree with talking about other famous people.”

And yet there's a heck of a lot of name dropping and opinion there Helena.

Does Depp have a way back? “Oh, I think he’s completely vindicated,” she replies. “I think he’s fine now. Totally fine.” I ask if the US libel case between Amber Heard and Depp was the pendulum of #MeToo swinging back. “My view is that she got on that pendulum. That’s the problem with these things — that people will jump on the bandwagon because it’s the trend and to be the poster girl for it.”

Nuance and complexity?

Wonderful news. And I love how when people come out in support of JKR there’s always nuance and complexity there, not some groupthink that we all blindly laud them for.

Precisely. She’s said what she wants to say, no more, no less. What she has said is pretty forthright and unambiguous- she’s against the hounding of JKR for having opinions or views to which she’s entitled. She’s strongly hinted she’s in agreement without needing to say anything that similarly gets her quoted and picked apart (which will probably happen anyway, by both ‘sides’, as indeed this thread shows.)

She’s being interviewed as the first female president of the London Library, she’s speaking about a female writer being ‘cancelled’. That’s then inevitably going to lead on to her own history with the Potter franchise and the younger cast members, and she’s not touched on their views being right or wrong either but talked about the ‘code’ that basically says, don’t bite the hand.

And then that is going to lead on to her relationship with Johnny Depp, and other ‘problematic’ figures she’s worked with or has relationships with.

I don’t demand purity of anyone, I only demand honesty and I think this is an honest interview. She’s not dodged anything, she’s been outspoken in her defence of free speech. Johnny Depp is her children’s godfather - I think expecting her to say anything in condemnation of him is demanding too much.

I think she comes across with integrity.

I think it does help when high-profile people take this 'positive neutral' stance. It's about facts not personal feelings. I liked the way she tackled the question by summarising the issue not using it to preach her own virtue.

Her attitude to sex offenders I am less impressed with.

They'll be many here brushing off her shit opinion on Depp/Heard because she was vaguely positive about JKR.

This is the best summary I've read of JKR's 'crime'

Rowling has been heavily attacked by trans rights activists for her belief in the need for female-only spaces.

Children and people who cba to find out the facts believe she has actually done something transphobic and not just this.

Exactly how I feel.

This is an anti cancel culture opinion seemingly regardless of the crimes committed. Even sex offenders should be forgiven.

It's hardly a ringing endorsement of JKR or any sort of agreement with her views.

Heard maintains that she suffered years of abuse at Depp’s hands and the High Court in London found that 12 assaults were proved on the balance of probability.

Same here.

I loved that description. HBC clearly thinks about her appearance and her clothes and puts time and effort into it.

Another Smart Woman who Totally Gets It!

(although the writer could have done without commenting on HBC’s appearance: “goth meets bluestocking”…)