What Did Daniel Radcliffe Say Regarding Speaking Out Against J.K. Rowling?

J.K. Rowling was once considered to be one of the most influential writers of all time. However, her transphobic tweets have tarnished her reputation forever. Several celebrities have called her out. One of them was Daniel Radcliffe, who played the titular character in the ‘Harry Potter‘ films.

In a recent interview, the 33-year-old English actor talked about the importance of speaking out against her views. Rowling was also not invited to the film’s reunion last year. Let’s find out what the ‘Swiss Army Man‘ actor said in the interview.

Daniel Radcliffe Talks About Speaking Out Against J.K. Rowling

Several people have called out author J.K. Rowling for her transphobic tweets and comments in the past few years. Radcliffe is one of them who headed the ‘Harry Potter‘ film franchise.

In an interview with IndieWire, the actor talked about speaking out against her. He had published an open letter in which he proclaimed, “transgender women are women.”

“The reason I felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing ‘Potter,’ I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that,” Radcliffe said.

He continued, “And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.”

Rowling’s Comments Have Been Widely Criticised

Warner Bros. Reaffirms Support For J.K. Rowling — J.K. Rowling

In June 2020, the celebrated author started receiving backlash for her views on the transgender community. In a series of tweets, she stated that discussing gender identity negates biological sex.

“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction,” she wrote. “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.”

In response, Daniel wrote in his open letter: “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

He continued, “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the [‘Harry Potter’] books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you.”