Why Daniel Radcliffe says he is ‘really sad’ about J.K. Rowling

“Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe says he is “really sad” about where things stand with author J.K. Rowling.

Rowling, who wrote the “Harry Potter” series that was adapted into a film franchise starring Radcliffe, has candidly shared her opinions regarding transgender issues for years now. Radcliffe is among the “Harry Potter” actors who openly disagree with her views.

Radcliffe recently told The Atlantic that he hasn’t had direct contact with Rowling about their differing views on transgender issues and that he is still thankful for the work they did together on “Harry Potter”

“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 she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic,” he said.

Last month, Rowling said that “Harry Potter” actors Radcliffe and Emma Watson, as well as other celebrities who “used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors,” can “save their apologies” to her for speaking out against her past comments on gender identity issues, as the Deseret News previously reported.

When asked by The Atlantic if he had any response to Rowling’s recent commentary, Radcliffe said: “I will continue to support the rights of all LGBTQ people, and have no further comment than that.”

He also took a moment to respond to “Harry Potter” fans who criticize him for opposing Rowling, who wrote the book series which inspired the film franchise that put Radcliffe on the map.

“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,” he told The Atlantic.

Radcliffe has periodically shared his support for members of the transgender community.

In 2020, he published a letter about LGBTQ issues on The Trevor Project’s website — a nonprofit organization that works to end suicide among members of the LGBTQ community.

“To all the people who now feel that their experience of the (‘Harry Potter’) books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you,” Radcliffe wrote. “If you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that.”