Daniel Radcliffe has shared a rare comment on his fallout with Harry Potter author JK Rowling, saying it makes him "really sad".
Back in 2020, Radcliffe was among the first Harry Potter cast members to speak up in defense of the trans community, following remarks made about trans people at that time by Rowling.
In the years since, Rowling has repeatedly faced criticism for her views on trans people. In a new interview with The Atlantic which was conducted in the early months of this year but published on Tuesday (April 30), the Tony-nominated actor revealed that he hasn't spoken to the author in years.
"It makes me really sad, ultimately," he said. "I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world she created, and all of that to me is so deeply empathic."
Related: Harry Potter star Katie Leung posts in support of Black trans lives following JK Rowling controversy
Radcliffe went on to respond to critics who have said that he and his Harry Potter co-stars Watson and Rupert Grint – who have also expressed their support for the trans community amid Rowling's comments – should be more grateful to the author.
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"There's a version of 'Are these three kids ungrateful brats?' that people have always wanted to write, and they were finally able to. So good for them, I guess," he shared.
"Jo, obviously Harry Potter would have never 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."
Rowling declined to comment for The Atlantic's article.
Radcliffe was approached for comment again by The Atlantic after Rowling's tweets following the Cass Review in which she criticised "celebs" while responding to a tweet that named him and Watson, adding: "I will continue to support the rights of all LGBTQ people, and have no further comment than that."
Related: Why Harry Potter reunion special didn't feature new JK Rowling footage
Following Rowling's controversial remarks in 2020, Radcliffe wrote an essay for The Trevor Project acknowledging that "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," he continued.
Meanwhile, Emma Watson tweeted at the time: "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."
Reflecting on his essay for The Trevor Project, Radcliffe added in The Atlantic interview that he'd worked alongside the charity for 12 years at that point "and it would have seemed like, I don't know, immense cowardice to me to not say something.
"I wanted to try and help people that had been negatively affected by the comments, and to say that if those are Jo's views, then they are not the views of everybody associated with the Potter franchise."
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
