JK Rowling revealed that she will never forgive Daniel Radcliffe, even if he were to apologize for speaking out against her.
Rowling, 59, addressed her ongoing estrangement from Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, saying she’s “unlikely to forgive” the pair after their response to her controversial statements on gender identity.
The feud traces back to 2020, when Rowling ignited a fierce public backlash over her views on trans rights.
In a widely shared essay on sexual assault, she described transgender identity as “deeply misogynistic and regressive.”
Around the same time, she tweeted about an article titled Opinion: Creating a more equal post-Covid-19 world for people who menstruate, and commented: “‘People who menstruate’. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
She followed up by arguing that if "sex isn't real", then "same-sex attraction" wouldn’t exist and “the lived reality of women globally is erased.”
Amid mounting criticism, Rowling denied being transphobic, saying she supported “every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them,” and condemned discrimination.
She added: “I feel nothing but empathy and solidarity with trans women who’ve been abused by men,” but took issue with trans women sharing women’s spaces like bathrooms, warning that it “opens the door to any and all men who wish to come inside.”
Her remarks caused a swift and public break with the trio of lead actors who helped turn Harry Potter into a global phenomenon.
Radcliffe, who turned 36 yesterday (July 23), in an essay for The Trevor Project, distanced himself from Rowling’s stance, writing: “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people.”
He continued: “It's clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities,” and apologized to fans, hoping Rowling’s comments wouldn’t “taint” their memories of the franchise.
Watson echoed his sentiments on social media: “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned.”
She added: “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.”
Grint also made his position clear: “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.”
In 2024, Rowling finally addressed the fallout directly, stating she’s unlikely to forgive Radcliffe or Watson for “cozying up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights.”
She later appeared to take a swipe at all three stars — including Rupert Grint — in a social media exchange.
When asked: “What actor/actress instantly ruins a movie for you?” Rowling replied: “Three guesses. Sorry, but that was irresistible,” followed by three laughing emojis.
Though she didn’t name names, the comment was widely interpreted as a dig at Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint.
Radcliffe, for his part, later spoke to The Atlantic about the sadness he feels over the situation: “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.”
He added: “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.”