Ex-All Blacks star Williams at centre of transphobic' Twitter stormFormer All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams has ignited a storm of controversy after a social media post that's been labelled transphobic'.
by Craig Lewis
06-02-2023 09:08
in LGBTQIA+
Former All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams. Photo: PA Wire/PA Images RealTime Images
Sonny Bill Williams, who played in 58 Tests for the All Blacks, has found himself at the centre of controversy on social media and been labelled transphobic after seemingly supporting a comment from a woman who thanked God that her parents didn't let her get a sex change when she was 12.
--
ALSO READ | SLOW-MO VIDEO: SA-BORN WING'S STUNNING SOLO SIX NATIONS TRY
William shared a tweet from well-known anti-transgender and anti-vaccination advocate, Doctor Anastasia Maria Loupis, quoting 100, 100 in a post that seemed to provide backing for her comment that read as follows: From ages 4-12 I wore boys' clothes, played boy sports and rejected all thing girly'. When my brother teased me for being a girl, I even said that when I got older I would cut my boobs off'. I was not transgender, I just idolised my brother. Thank God my parents were sane.
ALSO READ | SA RUGBY DRAFTS RELATIONS' POLICY IN WAKE OF JANTJIES-SIMJEE SAGA
--
Williams later deleted the tweet, but not before receiving a severe backlash from various social media users.
The controversial post from Williams that drew a social media backlash before it was deleted. Photo: Twitter Sonny Bill, I had a massive amount of respect for you, both as a rugby league & union player, and as a decent human being. I strongly urge you to listen to more transgender voices, so you can learn and understand how hateful & out of touch spreading this anti-trans rhetoric is, one user wrote on Twitter.
Another user responded to say: I assume there are plenty of transphobic personalities, I just wish I never had to see them coming out. Sonny, this is harmful and untrue of many trans journeys. Time to find a trans ally rugby/league player to follow now, wrote another.
--
ALSO READ | ZEENAT SIMJEE TO BE PART OF SPRINGBOKS' WORLD CUP MANAGEMENT
Well, this is disappointing. And I'm saying that as a girl who was tomboy and is now a butch lesbian, who understands you are who you are and the world is better for it.
Alice Soper (@alicesoapbox) February 6, 2023
ALSO READ | BULLS RELEASE STATEMENT ON ALLEGED PLAYER MURDER CASE
The Danish doctor's social media feed is often filled with comments about stamping out gay and transgender rights, anti-vaccination sentiments and Donald Trump support.
Williams enjoyed a famed sports career Williams retired from a memorable career in rugby and rugby league in 2021, while he is still well-known for his exploits in the ring as a passionate boxer.
Williams converted to Islan in 2009, while in France playing for Toulon. He became the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks.
The 37-year-old is a dual citizen of New Zealand and Samoa, and in 2019, he shared a tearful message of condolence for the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings, nd denounced the treatment of the Uyghurs in China: It's a sad time when we choose economic benefits over humanity, he commented.
MUST-READ: JAKE WHITE OPENS UP ON NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE
Are you interested in online trading? Join XM Global LIVE interactive trading sessions here!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
29/05/2026
Experimental HIV vaccine achieves a long-sought goal In a first for the field, all non-human primates given a new series of vaccines generated antibodies capabl...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
FOX Sports' MLB coverage dominated the night at the 47th Annual Sports Emmy ...
28/05/2026
One of the most memorable postseasons in baseball history would have had no memo...
28/05/2026
NBC's Sunday Night Football is among the most-decorated and most-watched pro...
28/05/2026
The 2026 Sports Emmys marked a watershed moment for Prime Video Sports. After bu...
Ex-All Blacks star Williams at centre of transphobic' Twitter stormFormer All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams has ignited a storm of controversy after a social media post that's been labelled transphobic'.
