JK Rowling took particular ire at Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson's response to her controversial comments on the transgender community.
The British author is behind one of the biggest franchises of all time in the Wizarding World, having penned the first Harry Potter book, The Philosopher's Stone, in 1997.
A film of the same name was released in 2001, the first of eight starring Daniel Radcliffe as the titular character, with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as Hermione and Ron, respectfully.
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The Harry Potter series launched the trio's careers, and while they are grateful to Rowling for conceiving the characters, they don't see eye to eye on certain things.
In fact, Rowling went as far as saying that the likes of Radcliffe and Watson can 'save their apologies' after they issued statements about her stance on the transgender community.
What did JK Rowling say?
In June 2020, the author shared a link on social media to an article called 'Opinion: Creating a more equal post-Covid-19 world for people who menstruate'.
Rowling seemed to poke fun at people's attempts to be more inclusive towards the trans community, writing in the post: "'People who menstruate’. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"
This was then followed by Rowling claiming if 'sex isn't real', then there's no 'same-sex attraction' and 'the lived reality of women globally is erased', which led to accusations of transphobia, which she denied.
She said that she respected 'every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them', explaining that she wants them to be free of discrimination.
Rowling also wrote: "I feel nothing but empathy and solidarity with trans women who’ve been abused by men," but added that she doesn't agree when it comes to trans women in spaces such as bathrooms, claiming it 'opens the door to any and all men who wish to come inside'.
How did Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson respond?
Following Rowling's comments, Radcliffe wrote about the issue in an open letter for LGBTQ+ organisation, The Trevor Project.
"It's clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities," he said, apologising for the 'pain' caused by Rowling and hoped it wouldn't 'taint' the Harry Potter films for trans and non-binary fans.
Watson also responded, taking to Twitter at the time to write to her followers: "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are."
"I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are," she added.
Grint has also responded to the author's comments, saying: "I firmly stand with the trans community... Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment."
Rowling's response to the criticism
Fast forward to April 2024, and Rowling was back sharing her views on the transgender community, this time in agreement with an independent review of the NHS' gender identity services for children.
The four year study, carried out by Dr. Hilary Cass, found that they had 'remarkably weak' evidence when it came to the long-term effects of things such as puberty blockers, to manage 'gender-related distress'.
Rowling called it a 'watershed' moment, and a fan wrote online that they were waiting for Radcliffe and Watson to 'publicly apologise', saying that they were 'safe in the knowledge' that the actors would be forgiven.
However, the author brutally replied, saying: "Not safe, I'm afraid."
Rowling went on: "Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women's hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces."
Radcliffe's response to Rowling's comments
In response to Rowling's comments, Radcliffe told The Atlantic that the whole situation 'makes him really sad'.
He continued: "It makes me really sad, ultimately, because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.
"Jo, obviously Harry Potter would not have happened without her, so nothing in my life would have probably happened the way it is without that person.
"But that doesn’t mean that you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire life."
Topics: JK Rowling, Harry Potter, LGBTQ, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson
Joshua Nair