Daniel Radcliffe, the 34-year-old actor who rose to fame as Harry Potter, has finally spoken out about JK Rowling’s stance on trans women. Despite being a vocal supporter of the trans community, Radcliffe had been careful not to address Rowling directly on the topic until now.
Rowling has made several statements criticized as ‘anti-trans,’ including misgendering trans women and stirring up outcry on social media.
JK Rowling (Credits: AP News)
In a recent interview with The Atlantic, Radcliffe expressed his sadness and disappointment over Rowling’s views, saying, “It makes me really sad, 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.” Radcliffe acknowledged the impact Rowling had on his life and career, but emphasized that he doesn’t owe his beliefs to anyone else. “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.”
Radcliffe’s comments come after a fan called for him and Emma Watson to apologize publicly for Rowling’s views. Rowling responded on Twitter, saying that celebrities who supported the trans community should save their apologies for “traumatized detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single-sex spaces.”
JK Rowling (Credits: CNN)
Radcliffe has worked with The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide-prevention hotline, for 12 years and has been a long-time supporter of the trans community. In 2019, he wrote a statement on the project’s website, saying, “Trans women are women.”
Radcliffe added that he will continue to support the rights of all LGBTQ people and has no further comment on the matter. His rare comment on Rowling’s views highlights the complex and sensitive nature of the issue, as well as the challenges of relationships and beliefs when they conflict with one’s values and principles.
