Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has suggested she won’t “forgive” actors Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson for their response to her comments on the transgender community, referring to them as “celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights.”
Rowling made the comment on X (formerly Twitter) following the publication of The Cass Review, an independent four-year review of gender identity services and young people in the U.K., published by pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass and commissioned by NHS England. After a follower suggested that Radcliffe and Watson provide Rowling with a “very public apology … safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them,” the author replied: “Not safe, I’m afraid.”
Rowling then implied that Radcliffe and Watson are among celebrities “who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors,” adding that they can “save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.”
Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson responded to J.K. Rowling’s trans comments
Radcliffe and Watson, who portrayed Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in the film adaptations of Rowling’s novels, previously spoke up against the author’s repeated comments on the transgender community. In 2020, Radcliffe issued a statement affirming “transgender women are women in direct response to Rowling’s tweets on gender identity, while Watson tweeted: “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.”
In the report, Hilary Cass notes that her review is “not about defining what it means to be trans, nor is it about undermining the validity of trans identities, challenging the right of people to express themselves, or rolling back on people’s rights to healthcare.”
She notes that due to a lack of data, “the rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear, with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria, mental or psychosocial health.” Among Cass’ recommendations is a “holistic assessment” of a child/young person’s needs “to inform an individualised care plan,” pushing for NHS England to increase capacity and training around gender identity.
