Piers Morgan slams ‘virtue-signalling little twerp’ Daniel Radcliffe amid JK Rowling row | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Piers Morgan, 57, has hit out at Daniel Radcliffe, 33, for the Harry Potter star’s latest interview where he explained why he wrote his 2020 open letter against JK Rowling’s controversial remarks about the trans community. The actor said it was “really important” for him to support transgender rights.
The Harry Potter actor claimed he would not have been able to look himself in the mirror had he not made a statement.
In June 2020, the Harry Potter author retweeted an op-ed piece that discussed “people who menstruate,” apparently taking issue with the fact that the story did not use the word “women.”
The author was immediately criticised for her comments, including celebrities like Daniel, but Rowling denied accusations she was being transphobic.
In an interview with The Times, Daniel said that many young, queer and transgender fans of the fantasy series had been hurt by Rowling’s posts.
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In an interview with IndieWire, he said: “The reason I felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing [the Potter franchise], I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that.
“And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.”
TV presenter Piers lashed out at the actor in a Twitter post for his remarks against Rowling on Wednesday.
“Why didn’t the virtue-signalling little twerp stand up for women’s rights?”, Piers shared with his 8 million followers.
“Or, does his virtue only stop at being a man telling woman how she should feel about her rights?”
@Sambhapodhi said: “You do know that they’re not mutually exclusive?!
“Don’t be the very thing you stand up against @piersmorgan.
“Don’t become a part of the the ‘what about?’ crowd.”
@Michael927 defended Daniel: “He’s exercising his right to free speech – the right to express his opinion, something you claim to hold in high regard.”
@MaudeArthurB penned: “Agree wholeheartedly Piers, I can’t abide fence-sitters, and these virtue-signaling wokesters think they can butter their bread both sides.
“I have taken note, and will not be watching their movies until they apologise to JK Rowling who has more courage than all of them combined.”
Last year, Piers slammed other members of the Harry Potter cast for not defending Rowling after she received backlash.
It had come after Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley, called the authors views “damaging”.
Rowling’s original comments were posted in reaction to an online article on Twitter.
She had said: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people.
“Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
The bestselling author later defended herself in an essay but has continued to face criticism.
Harry Potter actors Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne – who starred in the Fantastic Beasts films – have all previously criticised the author and spoken out against her remarks.
At the time Piers wrote on Twitter: “Weasley by name and nature.
“These Potter stars are such a bunch of ungrateful little twerps… more interested in pathetic virtue-signalling than supporting the right of the woman who made them all rich & famous to have an opinion most people agree with.”
