Former Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall led thousands of festival-goers in an anti-JK Rowling chant during her performance at Mighty Hoopla in London on Saturday evening.
The 32-year-old singer, who performs professionally as JADE, was appearing at the LGBTQ+ music festival when the incident occurred.
Performing on the Main Stage, Thirlwall ignited the crowd by shouting “transphobes” to which thousands responded with “F*** you!”
She then directed the chant specifically at the Harry Potter author, yelling “JK Rowling” and prompting another enthusiastic “F*** you!” from the audience.
Video footage of the moment was quickly shared across social media platforms, with one festival-goer posting the clip online with the caption: “Jade, the legend you are!!!”
The chant occurred during Thirlwall’s performance of her new song “FUFN (F*** You For Now)”, which she used to take aim at the controversial author.
The moment has been celebrated by Thirlwall’s fans across social media platforms.
“Out of this world. That was beyond anything in terms of a show. The woman she IS,” one fan wrote on X.
Another supporter posted: “Jade thirlwall is THAT GIRL,” whilst a third fan declared: “JADE AMELIA THIRLWALL I LOVE YOU SO MUCH and f*** you transphobes and jk rowling.”
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The incident has drawn widespread attention online, with the video clip continuing to circulate across various social media platforms following Saturday evening’s performance at the London festival.
Rowling first made remarks about the transgender community in December 2019 and has since published and retweeted numerous posts containing what some call controversial comments about trans and non-binary people.
The 59-year-old author has rejected claims of being transphobic, stating that her views are aimed at defending women’s rights.
She has dismissed concerns that her views on transgender people will damage her legacy.
When asked about this in 2023 on The Witch Trials of JK Rowling podcast, she said: “I do not walk around my house thinking about my legacy, what a pompous way to live your life thinking about what my legacy will be. Whatever! I’ll be dead, I care about now, the living.”
Thirlwall has maintained a long history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community, winning a Gay Times allyship award in 2021 and receiving a nomination for a Celebrity Ally Award at the 2025 LGBT Awards.
She recently signed an open letter pledging solidarity with the trans community following the UK Supreme Court ruling, alongside former bandmates Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards.
Speaking to Gayety in a recent interview, Thirlwall said: “We’re seeing an attack on the trans community, and I have a very big LGBTQ+ fanbase.
“I can’t sit back and not be vocal about defending that community. I’m happy to pay the consequences if it means doing the right thing.”
She has acknowledged being warned about potential career backlash for her activism but remains committed to speaking out on issues she considers basic human rights.
