David Yates, maybe just don’t say anything at all?

David Yates is under fire for his comments on Johnny Depp. Why? Because he didn’t exactly come off too great.

Director of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, David Yates, is under fire today. In an article defending the choice of keeping Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald, Yates points out only one woman had claims against that. The problem? It is victim blaming.

Now it isn’t exactly the first time something like this has happened. Of course people blame the victim because they don’t want to believe something bad about their friend or favorite actor. But what’s not okay is the fact that Yates is excusing the account because it was just one woman.

Look, I get it. Yates is trying to save face. But seriously? It is more than just victim blaming. This is the Harry Potter series. Centered around a boy who was abused by his family. A series that is a source of comfort for many victims of abuse.

By brushing off the claims, he’s showing those fans that he does not care. Maybe it wasn’t his intention but it does not come over well. Especially because, again, this series means a lot to victims of abuse. It was almost better when no one commented on it.

So what is going to happen? Probably nothing. They already started filming and it isn’t going to stop just because David Yates is getting some bad press. My advice though? Maybe don’t sit there and shame a victim while you’re directing a movie that has been a beam of hope for many who have been abused.

Next: What if Sirius Black was Gerald White wearing a pair of glasses?

Is Depp going to ruin Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2? Probably not but this is going to hang over the series for quite some time and that’s not fair to the work it has done in the past.