British writer, author of the Harry Potter book series, J.K. Rowling made an ambiguous post on social media, which sparked a new wave of discussions about her strained relationship with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. This is reported by Independent, writes UNN.
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On Tuesday, March 18, in response to one of Rowling's posts on X: "Which actor/actress instantly ruins a movie for you?" she replied: "Guess in three tries. Sorry, but it was charming."
According to the media, although the author added smiling face emojis to emphasize the humor, many interpreted this post as a hint at the main actors of the Harry Potter film saga, who in 2020 distanced themselves from Rowling after her statements about transgender people. At that time, Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint publicly supported the transgender community, which led to a deterioration of their relationship with the writer.
Rowling first publicly expressed her position on transgender women in December 2019, when the writer expressed support for researcher Maya Forstater, who lost her job due to controversial statements about transgenderism. After that, Rowling published an essay outlining her position on gender identity, which caused a wave of criticism.
In this essay, she listed five reasons why one should "worry about the new trans activism," which was condemned by Radcliffe and Watson, who stated: "I want my trans followers to know that I and many other people around the world see you, respect you, and love you for who you are."
Radcliffe was the first of the main trio of "Harry Potter" to speak out against Rowling's views on transgender identity.
"Transgender women are women," he said in a 2020 statement published by The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention charity for LGBTQ+ youth. He acknowledged that Rowling was "undoubtedly responsible for how my life turned out," but said he "felt compelled to say something at this moment."
In 2024, the actor admitted that he had not spoken to the author for many years.
"Ultimately, it makes me very sad," he said, "because I look at the person I met, the times we met, the books she wrote, the world she created, and it all evokes deep sympathy in me."
His 2020 statement was supported by Grint and Watson.
Actress Emma Watson, who played Hermione, also spoke out about the furore at the 2022 BAFTA Awards. Host Rebel Wilson introduced the actress on stage that year, stating: "Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she's a witch."
When Watson came on stage, she declared: "I'm here for all the witches!", which many interpreted as a jab at Rowling.
In April 2024, after the publication of the Cass Report, Rowling stated that she would not forgive the actors, saying they could "save their apologies."