Stephen Fry has told sex abuse victims to “grow up” because self-pity is the “ugliest emotion in humanity”during an interview with a US chat show.
The actor (58) was speaking with host Dave Rubin on the Rubin Report about the controversial Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford University, which campaigners want removed.
He said some people are becoming too sensitive and he criticised those who avoid “trigger words” for fear of controversy.
The former QI presenter and president of UK mental health charity MIND said, “There are many great plays which contain rapes, and the word rape now is even considered a rape.
“They’re terrible things and they have to be thought about, clearly, but if you say you can’t watch this play, you can’t watch Titus Andronicus, or you can’t read it in an English class, or you can’t watch Macbeth because it’s got children being killed in it, it might trigger something when you were young that upset you once, because uncle touched you in a nasty place, well I’m sorry.
“It’s a great shame and we’re all very sorry that your uncle touched you in that nasty place – you get some of my sympathy – but your self pity gets none of my sympathy,” he said.
“Self pity is the ugliest emotion in humanity. Get rid of it, because no one’s going to like you if you feel sorry for yourself. The irony is we’ll feel sorry for you, if you stop feeling sorry for yourself. Just grow up.”
His comments have prompted outrage on social media, with many calling them hypocritical and insensitive.