Hugh Laurie Defends WNBA Star Sophie Cunningham’s Stance on Trans Athletes in Women’s Sports

Hugh Laurie has made his position on women’s sports clear following a heated online exchange.

The House star, 67, has drawn attention after a pointed online exchange in which he made clear he does not believe men should compete in women’s sports, and that he stands behind WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham, Fox News Digital reported on Thursday, August 13.

As Globe previously reported, Cunningham, 29, an Indiana Fever guard, has publicly said women and girls shouldn’t have to compete against biological men — a stance that’s placed her at the center of the WNBA’s ongoing debate over transgender athletes.

The back-and-forth began on Sunday, August 9, when Laurie posted on X, noting that in professional basketball, “99.9 percent of the world are, effectively, ‘women,'” citing a Sports Illustrated statistic that an American man between 20 and 40 who’s 7 feet tall or taller has a 17 percent chance of already being in the NBA.

Comedian Graham Linehan pushed back, calling the wording “cowardly” in a post he later deleted, Fox News Digital reported. Laurie didn’t hold back and responded via X: “Firstly, [expletive] off; secondly no, I don’t believe men should compete against women. I thought I’d made that pretty clear. If you’d looked. But obviously you must get onto your next…”

Per the report, Linehan, 58, pressed him to state outright that he supported Cunningham “in her fight for fair sports” instead of “trying to be arch,” (or deliberately clever and indirect.) Laurie fired back on X, “You started it. ‘Cowardly’ to ‘[expletive] off’ is the going rate of exchange around here. And yes, I support Sophie Cunningham. And you, some of the time.”

According to the report, Linehan ultimately walked back his criticism, writing, “Fair dos. I apologise for my knee-jerkiness. And thank you. I would never have had what career I had without A Bit of Fry and Laurie to aspire towards.”

Comedian and political commentator Tim Young felt that Laurie’s successful Hollywood career shields him from the kind of backlash a less established star might face. “It’s so rare that someone from Hollywood would stand up for women in women’s sports that it’s exciting when someone does at this point,” Young, 46, said, according to Fox News Digital, adding that Laurie, “gets to see the ugly side of the left for the first time” and that “Laurie can’t be canceled.”

Per the report, Young argued the episode reveals something broader about celebrity activism: “Comedians always stand at the forefront of social commentary, but many of their opinions come from who pays them,” he said, calling Laurie’s willingness to speak up “a heavier factor than anything else.”

The unlikely exchange ultimately put Laurie in the middle of a debate that continues to divide both the sports world and the public.