'House' star Hugh Laurie responds to claims he supports men in women's sports: 'Firstly, f**k off'

Actor Hugh Laurie was quick to respond to recent accusations about his views on men playing in women's sports.

While Laurie's popular character on his hit show "House" was highly sarcastic, Laurie wasn't joking around when it came to this controversial idea. However, his initial remarks only confused readers who were ready to jump to his defense.

'You started it.'

Tit for tat

It all started when Laurie posted some statistics about the "broigus" in professional basketball.

"99.9% of the world are, effectively, 'women,'" Laurie wrote. Adding that "an American man between 20 and 40 years of age and 7 feet tall or more, there's a 17% chance you’re already in the NBA."

There was no shortage of replies from X users that interpreted Laurie's comment as meaning that he supports ungendered sports categories, an argument mirrored by scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson in recent years.

This included writer Graham Linehan, who wrote, according to Grok, "You don't have to ACTUALLY be House to say this is unfair and wrong. Or maybe you do."

Laurie was quick to vehemently put any assertions to bed.

"Firstly, f**k off," the actor replied. "Secondly no, I don't believe men should compete against women. I thought I'd made that pretty clear. If you'd looked."

That wasn't the end though.

RELATED: WNBA gives awful update after meeting to establish gender eligibility rules

Arch enemy

Linehan not only asked why Laurie was so hostile if he agreed, but he suggested that the actor, "Just say that you support Sophie Cunningham in her fight for fair sports and stop trying to be arch."

Laurie made it clear, "Yes, I support Sophie Cunningham. And you, some of the time," he told Linehan.

As for the unpleasantries, Laurie simply stated, "You started it."

"'Cowardly' to 'f**k off' is the going rate of exchange around here," Laurie explained, definitively.

As mentioned though, Linehan was not the only person to read into Laurie's comments as being a sign he has the exact opposite beliefs he later espoused. To the 67-year-old's credit, he took time to kindly respond to many accusations.

RELATED: WNBA team co-owner FINED and SUSPENDED for cursing out teen fans of Sophie Cunningham at Seattle game

Scott Humbert/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images

Vodka thoughts

"It was just an observation — not even mine — about that particular sport," Laurie told one reader.

"It was an observation, that's all. Carry on," he said in response to another critique.

Laurie gave a more pointed response to a woman who said she had interacted with him over a review of his show in the past. The woman went on to point out more immutable characteristics that differentiate men and women.

It was when speaking to her that the actor said that his point was being made by "my vodka bottle," and he was simply trying to assert that basketball has "a single characteristic — greater than any other sport I can think of."

"I just find that amazing," he added. "I also find it amazing that no one else finds it amazing."

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