J.K. Rowling has implied that she will never forgive Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe.
J.K. Rowling, 58, is the renowned author of the Harry Potter series, which has sold millions of copies globally. The books have also been adapted into one of the most successful film franchises of all time.
The franchise has faced significant controversy in recent years due to the author’s views on sex and gender. Now, Rowling has publicly criticized two of the film series’ biggest stars, declaring that she will never forgive them.
The controversy began in 2020 when Rowling retweeted an op-ed that discussed “people who menstruate,” seemingly taking issue with the term not specifying “women.”
The writer responded with a tweet saying, “‘People who menstruate’…”.
She tweeted, “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
Despite facing intense backlash, Rowling stood by her comments, stating, “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. 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. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
In 2022, Rowling released a book titled The Ink Black Heart under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The crime thriller follows a YouTuber named Edie Ledwell, who creates a cartoon that is criticized as racist, ableist, and transphobic.
Rowling faced heavy criticism on X (formerly Twitter) over the release of her new book. One user tweeted, “I just finished reading The Ink Black Heart. How can I describe it? – Utterly transphobic and ableist. – Poorly written. – Unnecessarily verbose. – Painfully long. – The worst of the series so far.”
Another user wrote, “If any person personifies how becoming very wealthy dulls you from the humanity that made you successful in the first place, it’s J.K. Rowling.”
One person commented, “Imagine writing a whole pity party of a book because trans-Twitter was mean to you after you were mean to them.”
Several Harry Potter stars have also voiced opposition to Rowling’s views.
Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley, told Eastern Daily Press: “I do a lot of work with charities that are LGBTQ+ focused, and I raise money for the Albert Kennedy Trust on a regular basis.”
He continued, “A lot of my family are members of the community. It is a huge part of my life, and I think, by saying that, you can probably guess where my allegiances lie in that respect.”
He added, “What is important to highlight is that, when a trans person says they are male or female, that is what they are, and that is how we should treat them. It is damaging to them to say otherwise.”
Two of the franchise’s biggest stars have expressed similar sentiments, voicing their support for the transgender community and opposing Rowling’s views.
Daniel Radcliffe released a statement through The Trevor Project in June 2020, explaining how he felt “compelled to say something.”
His statement read: “I realise that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now.”
Radcliffe continued, “While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honoured to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment.
“Transgender women are women. 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.”
The Woman in Black actor went on to say that he was “deeply sorry” the Harry Potter books may have been “tarnished or diminished” for readers due to the controversy.
Meanwhile, Emma Watson tweeted, “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.”
In another tweet, 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.”
Fans also speculated that the Little Women actress made a subtle dig at Rowling during her 2022 BAFTAs speech.
The moment occurred when Rebel Wilson, hosting the event, welcomed Emma Watson to the stage, saying, “Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.”
In response, Watson said, “I’m here for all the witches.”
Now, Rowling has hit back at the criticism of her views…
This week, Rowling shared a tweet about the Cass Review, an independent review of gender identity services for children and young people.
Mermaids, a charity supporting trans, non-binary, and gender-questioning children, warned that “some of the language in the report is open to misinterpretation and could be used to justify additional barriers to accessing care for some trans young people,” as reported by The Guardian.
However, Rowling referred to the report as “the most robust review of the medical evidence for transitioning children that’s ever been conducted.”
The author claimed that the findings of the report showed “kids have been irreversibly harmed,” adding, “Thousands are complicit, not just medics, but the celebrity mouthpieces, unquestioning media, and cynical corporations.”
In response, a fan of Rowling tweeted, “Just waiting for Dan and Emma to give you a very public apology… safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them…”
However, Rowling insists that she would not forgive the pair.
“Not safe, I’m afraid,” Rowling wrote. “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.”
Fans quickly rushed to Radcliffe and Watson’s defense, with one X user writing, “Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe don’t need forgiveness for being compassionate human beings and they weren’t offering you an apology.”
Another chimed in, commenting, “Wait – what have Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe got to apologise to Rowling for? They were in the films of her books when they were kids, she doesn’t own them. That’s some really weird feudal s*** there…”
