JK Rowling‘s women’s rights crusade has lost her the support of many stars whose careers were launched thanks to her Harry Potter franchise – including Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe.
Her years-long campaign for what she labels ‘sex-based rights’ has seen the former Potter actors distance themselves from the multimillionaire writer – and directly express support for transgender rights.
The publication of the Cass Review, which concluded that gender services for children were not making decisions based on backed medical evidence, prompted her to suggest she was unlikely to forgive stars such as Radcliffe and Watson for their views.
Radcliffe, who plays the famous boy wizard in the franchise, has previously apologised to those who he said may feel as though their enjoyment of the Harry Potter series had been ‘tarnished or diminished’ due to Rowling’s stance.
Watson has also repeatedly spoken out in favour of trans rights, both before and after the author’s views came to light. Here, FEMAIL looks at Rowling’s strained relationship with the former child stars and how it has diminished over the years.
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JK Rowling’s (pictured) women’s rights crusade has lost her the support of many stars whose careers were launched thanks to her Harry Potter franchise – including Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe
Rowling was first criticised in 2018 after she liked a tweet describing trans women as ‘men in dresses’. Her spokesperson at the time said the like was a ‘mistake’, calling it a ‘clumsy middle-aged moment’.
But the author has since embarked on a campaign seeking to protect what she describes as women’s rights, fuelled by her own experiences of domestic abuse.
From repeatedly deliberately ‘misgendering’ trans women in posts on social media, to opposing legislation in Scotland that sought to make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender, the 58-year-old has made her thoughts known over the years.
However, she has denied accusations she is transphobic, and police said recent tweets in which she misgendered trans women did not fall foul of Scotland’s new hate crime laws, which outlaw ‘stirring up’ hate against transgender people.
June 2020 – Rowling’s views became explicit and Radcliffe and Watson spoke out
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The publication of the Cass Review prompted Rowling to suggest she was unlikely to forgive stars such as Daniel Radcliffe (pictured left) and Emma Watson (pictured right) for their views
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Rowling’s views have seen her publicly clash with Harry Potter stars. Pictured, the author with Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe in 2009
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Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson pictured in one of the Harry Potter films
Things came to a head with the young actors of the wizarding world in June 2020 when Rowling made her views on the subject explicit and published a lengthy 3,600-word statement where she said her stance on trans rights was drawn from her experiences of abuse and sexual assault.
She also retweeted an article that said ‘people who menstruate’, penning: ‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’
Then, she followed up the tweet with another, which read: ‘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.’
The slew of comments from the author prompted national outrage from activists and Harry Potter fans alike – including some of the actors who starred in the franchise.
Radcliffe was the first of the cast to speak out against her, by writing a blog for LGBTQ+ charity The Trevor Project, in which he explicitly said: ‘Transgender women are women.’
He added: ‘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 (Rowling) or I.’
The 34-year-old actor also apologised to fans by saying: ‘To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you.’
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Watson has repeatedly spoken out in favour of trans rights both before (top) and after (bottom) Rowling’s comments in June 2020
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, was quick to back up her fellow cast member and speak out against Rowling’s stance.
She took to X (formerly Twitter), to write: ‘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.’
The 33-year-old had also previously shared an image of herself in a t-shirt reading: ‘Trans rights are human rights.’
March 2022 – Emma Watson shouted out ‘all witches’ at the BAFTAs
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Emma Watson appeared to make a subtle dig against author JK Rowling during the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards
In March 2022, Watson made a comment which many people interpreted to be a dig at JK Rowling and her views.
She took to the stage to present the award for Best Outstanding British Film, when she was introduced by host Rebel Wilson.
Rebel said: ‘Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.’ Emma then emphasised: ‘I’m here for ALL the witches!’
Viewers at home saw the comment as a jibe at the Harry Potter creator, with one writing: ”I’m here for all the women’. Sly ‘lil dig at JK Rowling there, Emma Watson?’
Another echoed: ‘Live for Emma Watson throwing subtle shade at JK Rowling at the #BAFTAs #LGBWithTheT #JKDoesntSpeakForMe’.
A third chimed in to add: ‘Was that a jibe by Emma Watson at JK Rowling? what a QUEEEEENNN’.
2023 – Daniel Radcliffe works with The Trevor Project
Daniel Radcliffe also continued to showcase his support for the transgender community, most notably working with The Trevor Project.
In 2023 he moderated the first episode of ‘The Sharing Space,’ a video series that consisted of a roundtable discussion with six trans and non-binary children organised by the charity.
Radcliffe said: ‘There are also people who also have a slightly condescending but well-meaning attitude of, ‘people are young… and it is a huge decision.’
He asked the group of trans youths: ‘I would love to hear from all of you about why we can trust kids to tell us who they are.’
He added that there are ‘some people in the world who are not trying to engage in this conversation in any kind of good faith’.
The actor said: ‘I think a lot of the time it’s just because people don’t know a young trans person so there’s just this theoretical idea about this in their head.’
The episode was released on Friday 31 March last year – Transgender Day of Visibility.
April 2024 – Rowling suggests she will not forgive Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson
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In a response to someone claiming Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson would be ‘safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them’ for clashing with her on the topic, the Harry Potter author wrote ‘not safe’
This month, The Cass Review, written by Dr Hilary Cass, found that teenagers in Britain have been allowed to change their gender based on ‘remarkably weak evidence’.
In her report, Dr Cass warned that there was a ‘lack of high-quality research’ on the effects of giving children puberty blockers and hormones and said that the toxicity in the debate over the issue has become ‘exceptional’.
Following the review, JK Rowling took to social media to suggest she won’t forgive Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson for their views.
Writing on X after the report was published, Rowling said it was a ‘watershed’ moment and that it ‘lays bare the tragedy’ of allowing children to transition.
When someone claimed that Radcliffe and Watson owe her ‘a very public apology… safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them’, Rowling responded by saying: ‘Not safe, I’m afraid.’
She added: ‘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.’
