Harry Potter Fans Declare Daniel Radcliffe the Series' Author After Denouncing JK Rowling's Tweets

Fans of the Harry Potter franchise were reminded that series creator J.K. Rowling is the holder of controversial opinions as the author once again came under fire after making a series of transphobic tweets. Following the fandom's outcry though, none other than Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe responded with his own statement, denouncing Rowling's tweets and writing: "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."

Radcliffe's full statement, written on The Trevor Project's website, was immediately noticed and praised by fans of the fantasy series. They applauded Radcliffe for his stance and openness on the subject, especially speaking out against the creator that helped propel him to stardom. Some fans took this to an extreme position, declaring Radcliffe the author of the Harry Potter book series. We've collected some of these and other reactions to Radcliffe's statement below.

In his op-ed, Radcliffe said that he knows some might try to paint this as "in-fighting" between he and Rowling but said "that is really not what this is about, nor is it what's important right now." The actor said he felt compelled to speak on the subject after his work with The Trevor Project for the last decade despite Rowling being partially responsible for his career. Radcliffe also offered a message for fans of Harry Potter that felt the series or books had become tainted by Rowling's antithetical views, adding:

"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. I really hope that you don't entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; 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. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much."