Daniel Radcliffe has spoken out over comments made by JK Rowling in regards to the transgender community - stating that following the comments from the author he felt "compelled to say something at this moment”

The actor, who portrayed the Boy Wizard waded into the controversy in a blog post for the LGBT suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project, writing that while Rowling "is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken... as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment".

He added that he hopes the comments from Rowling they will not “taint” the series for fans.

The statement comes following a series of controversial tweets from Rowling over the weekend with the author being accused of making transphobic comments after she appeared to be critical of an article with a headline on an online article using the phrase “people who menstruate”.

READ MORE: JK Rowling sparks outrage over comments on sex, gender and trans people

Taking to social media she wrote “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

Critics accused her of being transphobic, an allegation Rowling strongly denies. She responded by saying: “I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans.” 

Radcliffe responded today to the comments in a statement through the LGBT suicide prevention charity the Trevor Project stating that“transgender women are women”.

Writing that the issue is not about “in-fighting between JK Rowling and myself”, he wrote: “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.”

He added: “It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and non-binary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”

The 30-year-old also reached out to fans who said they could no longer enjoy the Harry Potter series due to their disagreement with Rowling.

“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,” he said.

“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.”It is not the first time that JK

Rowling has attracted criticism for her views on social media. Rowling tweeted support of Maya Forstater, a former employee of think-tank Centre for Global Development, who was fired for saying that “men cannot change into women”. In 2018, she also appeared to ‘like’ a tweet that referred to trans women as “men in dresses”. At the time, the author’s reps said she had liked the tweet by accident.

Following the backlash from her tweets over the weekend, Rowling addressed critics by standing by comments, saying: “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”