![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/daniel-radcliffe.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGraham Linehan has launched a scathing attack on Daniel Radcliffe after the Harry Potter star reiterated his support for transgender rights and distanced himself from JK Rowling\u2019s views.<\/p>\n
The Father Ted creator wrote on X: \u201cIt\u2019s almost admirable how an actor with no talent feels confident enough to shit on the person who made him famous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Linehan\u2019s remark came in response to a resurfaced post highlighting Mr Radcliffe\u2019s previous comments about the Harry Potter author\u2019s stance on transgender issues.<\/p>\n
Mr Radcliffe previously told the Atlantic: \u201cIt 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 that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Radcliffe had said Ms Rowling\u2019s comments left him \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d<\/p>\n
| <\/p>\n
GETTY<\/p>\n
The 36-year-old actor confirmed he has not had contact with the author since she began speaking out on gender identity, and stressed that he would \u201ccontinue to support the rights of all LGBTQ people\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cJo, 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,\u201d Mr Radcliffe said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut that doesn\u2019t mean that you owe the things you truly believe to someone else for your entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cTransgender 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Graham](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/graham-linehan.jpg\")
Mr Linehan\u2019s explosive response quickly divided opinion online.<\/p>\n
Supporters of the comedy writer backed his criticism, with one user writing: \u201cNever bite the hand that feeds you.\u201d <\/p>\n
Another commented: \u201cHe\u2019s made all the money that he can off of her, so time to throw her under the bus.\u201d<\/p>\n
A third added: \u201cAgreed. And he STILL can\u2019t say what \u2018transphobic\u2019 comments she made. As a woman, I am so grateful for her focus on protecting the rights and dignity of girls and women.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Emma](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/emma-watson.jpg\")
However, others rushed to Mr Radcliffe\u2019s defence. \u201cRadcliffe handled a nuclear topic with more grace than most politicians manage in a lifetime,\u201d one supporter argued. <\/p>\n
Another hit back at Mr Linehan directly: \u201cI mean, okay Radcliffe has no talent, what movies have you made, Graham?\u201d<\/p>\n
The row comes amid continued fierce debate surrounding Ms Rowling\u2019s gender-critical stance.<\/p>\n
The author has repeatedly stated her belief<\/a> that sex is biological and has voiced concerns about the impact of gender self-identification on single-sex spaces. <\/p>\n Aside from Mr Radcliffe, her position has also sparked high-profile clashes with other former Harry Potter stars, including his co-star, Emma Watson.<\/p>\n After the author published an essay in 2020 outlining her concerns about gender identity, Ms Watson publicly backed the trans community, stating that \u201ctrans people are who they say they are.\u201d <\/p>\n Tensions deepened in 2022 when Ms Watson declared she was \u201chere for all the witches<\/a>\u201d at the BAFTAs, a remark widely interpreted as a swipe at the Harry Potter author. <\/p>\n In April 2024, Ms Rowling said she would \u201cnever forgive\u201d<\/a> Ms Watson or Mr Radcliffe for supporting what she believes is a movement that erodes women\u2019s rights. <\/p>\n JK Rowling has been snubbed by the Harry Potter cast<\/p>\n | PA<\/p>\n The row reignited in September 2025 when Ms Watson said on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast <\/a>that she still \u201ctreasures\u201d Ms Rowling and would not \u201ccancel her out.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Rowling, however, dismissed the remarks as a calculated \u201cchange of tack,\u201d describing the actress as \u201cignorant\u201d and arguing that her wealth and fame insulate her from the real-world impact of trans-inclusive policies.<\/p>\n Mr Linehan, meanwhile, has become one of the most outspoken defenders of gender-critical views in the UK.<\/p>\n![\"JK](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772130972_740_jk-rowling.jpg\")