Graham Linehan Claims Arrest at Heathrow Linked to Controversial Tweets

Heathrow Airport, England — Graham Linehan, the Irish writer known for creating television shows like Father Ted and The I.T. Crowd, claims he was arrested at Heathrow Airport for tweets critical of the transgender community. Linehan, 57, says armed police detained him as soon as he arrived from an American Airlines flight on September 1.

Linehan posted on Substack that he was approached by five officers who informed him he was being arrested for three specific tweets. These tweets included comments about trans women and a condemnation of a trans rights rally. In one tweet, he stated, “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”

Following his arrest, Linehan claimed he was taken to a hospital due to health concerns stemming from the arrest’s stress. “His condition is neither life-threatening nor life-changing,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said.

A statement from the police confirmed that the arrest occurred at approximately 1 p.m. on September 1, and indicated that he was detained on suspicion of inciting violence. After being held in custody, Linehan was released on bail with the condition that he refrain from using the platform X, formerly Twitter.

In his recount of the event, Linehan said, “I was arrested at an airport like a terrorist, locked in a cell like a criminal, taken to hospital because the stress nearly killed me.” He further criticized what he views as a growing hostility toward free speech in the UK. “The UK has become a country that is hostile to freedom of speech, hostile to women, and far too accommodating to violent men,” he stated.

Linehan’s controversial comments have led to significant backlash and scrutiny over the years. He faced a permanent suspension from Twitter in 2020 for “hateful content,” but his account was reinstated following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.

He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later in September regarding separate charges related to harassment and damaging property belonging to a trans activist.