‘House of the Dragon’ star Oli media
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Oliaying the House of the Dragon fandom is ‘steeped in misogyny’. The British actress, who plays Queen Alicent Hightower in HBO’s Game of Thronesprequel, deactivated her accounts in April, ahead of the show’s third season premiere in June
‘There’s a lot of ugliness to that fandom as well. It’s steeped in misogyny. There’s a lot of racism,’ Cooke told GQ in an interview published on Monday, 9 November. She said her time on social media had reached a point where it was ‘not nourishing’, though she has since returned to Instagram.
Her comments have sparked a heated response online. Some people said they were glad she had spoken up, while many critics argued she was dismissing fair criticism of the show.
Olin “House of the Dragon,” says she stepped away from social media ahead of the show’s third season because of the fandom’s “ugliness.”
“There’s a lot of ugliness to that fandom as well. It’s steeped in misogyny.… pic.twitter.com/s380llgxaH
— Variety (@Variety) November 10, 2026
Why She Logged Off
Cooke explained that fan theories about the show often spiral far beyond what actually appears on screen. Those theories have extended to Cooke herself, including speculation about her working relationship with the show’s directors.
‘I think some of those interpretations just catch fire, and they become something that bears no resemblance to what was shown on the screen at the time,’ she said.
Cooke also rejected claims that she had been mistreated on set, speaking warmly of director Clare Kilner. ‘You don’t have to stomp around the set and exert testosterone. You can just handle each department with kindness and care,’ she said of Kilner’s approach.
The third season, which aired from June to August, sparked particularly heated debate, including over a storyline involving Alicent and her son Aemond. Cooke also discussed taking six months away from acting after filming House of the Dragon and the spy drama Slow Horses, using the time to focus on her mental health.
‘This Monster’
Beyond the fandom, Cooke took aim at the wider culture of fame around acting. ‘I think the celebri-fied nature of being an actor has now snowballed into this monster,’ she said.
She added that shows and films are made ‘for escapism, but also because it’s artful and it’s creative and it’s not for followers or for a brand deal’. It is not the first time she has spoken out about the fandom, having previously said that some fans had been ‘horrible’ to the cast.
How People Reacted
Some people predicted that the response would back up Cooke’s point. ‘Watch all the comments here prove her right,’ one wrote. Another argued: ‘Disagree with Alicent all you want, but directing racism and misogyny at Oli
Many others pushed back. Several said most criticism of the show was aimed at the writing and how closely it follows George R.R. Martin’s books, rather than at Cooke herself.
‘Killer marketing there. Insult the fans you’re trying to appease has worked so well for Hollywood,’ one critic wrote. Another suggested online abuse was nothing new: ‘I remember the internet from the 90s and 2000s. Nothing said on here now comes close to what things were like back then.’
I remember the internet from the 90s and 2000s. Nothing said on here now comes close to what things were like back then.
— Cultural Breakdown (@Cultural_Break) November 10, 2026
Now back online, Cooke said she is trying not to let the noise get to her. ‘I try to let it take up minimal mental real estate,’ she said.
