Olivia Cooke Decries ‘House of the Dragon’ Fandom as ‘Steeped in Misogyny’ and ‘Racism’

Olivia Cooke recently shared her thoughts on the "House of the Dragon" fanbase, describing it as "steeped in misogyny" and "racism." In an interview with GQ, Cooke spoke about the tumultuous reception to the show's third season, which aired during the summer. She admitted that the online discourse could sometimes take a negative turn and that she tries to remain unaffected by it.

The actress also mentioned that her decision to deactivate her social media accounts during the show's hiatus was partly due to the backlash she faced. Cooke stated that some fan interpretations were far from the portrayal in the show. The most significant concerns came from deviations from George R.R. Martin's original books, including specific scenes involving her character, Alicent Hightower.

Fans were particularly critical of scenes depicting a reluctant kiss between Alicent and her son Aemond, and a later scene where they appeared to be having sex in a dream sequence. George R.R. Martin, the author of the books, expressed his dissatisfaction with certain showrunner Ryan Condal's decisions, voicing his concerns about the changes in Seasons 3 and 4 that seemed likely.