Who Is Sophia Brooks? Graham Linehan's Alleged Trans Harrassment Victim - Age, Ethnicity and What Was She Fighting For?

A public clash between a well-known comedy writer and a teenage transgender activist has landed in court. Sophia Brooks is an 18-year-old transgender campaigner who became the subject of intense online attention after being named repeatedly in posts by Irish writer Graham Linehan.

At the centre of the case is a claim that Linehan, 57, relentlessly targeted Brooks with online posts and in-person confrontations between 11 and 27 October 2024. Brooks told the court she feared she could be stabbed or beaten after being called a 'domestic terrorist' and a 'deeply disturbed sociopath' by someone with over 500,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter).

Who Is Sophia Brooks and What Was She Fighting For?

While not much information is available on Brooks' ethnicity, it is publicly known that Brooks identifies as a transgender woman and campaigns publicly against organisations she believes work against trans rights. One of these is the LGB Alliance, a UK-based group that opposes gender identity policies it sees as harmful to same-sex attracted people.

The prosecution said Brooks considered the LGB Alliance a 'hate group' that advocates for the removal of trans rights. However, during the incident in question on 11 October 2024, prosecutors confirmed Brooks was not inside the venue and there was no evidence she had participated in the protest, during which insects were released to disrupt the conference.

Despite this, Linehan linked her to the event in posts that prosecutors said were 'oppressive and unacceptable', and not provoked by anything Brooks had done to him personally.

Linehan's Posts and the Confrontation That Followed

On 13 October, Linehan accused Brooks of being behind 'countless episodes of harassment of women and gay men both online and off'. In further posts, he claimed she had 'some involvement in Friday's homophobic attack', referring to the protest at the LGB Alliance event.

In court, Brooks said she felt 'alarmed and distressed' by Linehan's repeated public accusations and insults. She told the judge: 'Any of [his] followers could see his post and cause great harm to me.'

Eight days after the conference, on 19 October, the pair encountered each other again at the Battle of Ideas conference in Westminster. Brooks said Linehan approached her and called her a 'groomer', asking how many children she had groomed. Later that day, when Brooks confronted him outside the venue and asked why he had called her a domestic terrorist, she claimed he grabbed her phone and threw it into the road.

Criminal Charges and Damage Allegations

Graham Linehan denies two charges: harassment between 11 and 27 October 2024, and criminal damage of Brooks' mobile phone, valued at £369 (approximately $460), on 19 October 2024. Video footage played to Westminster Magistrates' Court appears to show Linehan striking the phone out of Brooks' hand.

Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker described Linehan's actions as motivated by 'extreme personal animosity'. She added that the tone and content of his social media posts went beyond political disagreement, crossing into verbal abuse and personal attacks.

Linehan admitted he knocked the phone away but called it a 'reflex response'. He said Brooks had harassed him by filming him at close range and that he believed his online posts were in the public interest.

The Online Impact and Legal Arguments

In evidence, Brooks said she feared becoming a target of vigilante violence. She referred to the wide reach of Linehan's social media posts and said the nature of his accusations made her concerned for her safety.

Linehan's legal team argued that Brooks had also made provocative posts online and questioned her motives. They pointed to videos where she posed with Linehan and called him an 'incel', and social media activity where she had expressed extreme views, including a comment about gender-critical activist Posie Parker.

Brooks said her posts were made to a small audience, describing them as 'offhand comments', not a month-long campaign. She maintained that Linehan's actions caused her genuine alarm and distress.

What Happens Next?

The trial, which is separate from Linehan's recent arrest at Heathrow Airport, is ongoing. District Judge Briony Clarke is presiding and has instructed that the complainant be addressed using her affirmed gender name.

The court will determine whether Linehan's actions legally constitute harassment and criminal damage, with further hearings expected in the coming weeks.