Daniel Radcliffe Speaks Out On Johnny Depp’s Role In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald

Johnny Depp is attached to the role of Gellert Grindelwald, and fans are none too pleased.

Back in 2016, Depp’s name was dragged into the public eye amid the abuse allegations made by his ex-wife, Amber Heard (Aquaman). The Hollywood duo have since settled their divorce and domestic abuse case, before releasing a joint statement in an attempt to set the record straight.

Still, question marks have been raised over Johnny Depp’s involvement in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald, the Warner Bros. sequel in which he plays the titular dark wizard. Both David Yates and J.K. Rowling – director and screenwriter, respectively – have publically defended Depp, and now, Daniel Radcliffe has weighed in on the matter at hand:

“It’s a very hard thing for me,” Radcliffe said, noting he wants to be supportive of the film’s producers who “gave me a great start in life and an amazing job.”

Radcliffe broke his silence via Entertainment Weekly, where the former Boy Who Lived recalled a previous experience when a member of the Potter ensemble was replaced – and for a lesser offense.

I can see why people are frustrated with the response that they were given from that … I’m not saying anything that anybody hasn’t already said — and this is a weird analogy to draw — [but] in the NFL, there are lots of players arrested for smoking weed and there is other people’s behavior that goes way beyond that and it’s tolerated because they’re very famous players. I suppose the thing I was struck by was, we did have a guy who was reprimanded for weed on the [original Potter] film, essentially, so obviously what Johnny has been accused of is much greater than that.

The actor Radcliffe is referring to is actually Jamie Waylett, who initially played Vincent Crabbe all across the first six Harry Potter films. He was subsequently replaced just before Death Hallows – Part 1, following his arrest in 2009.

Whatever side of the fence you find yourself on – or even if you’re perched somewhere in between – Johnny Depp will be part of the ensemble cast featured in The Crimes of Grindelwald. And with a further three Fantastic Beasts movies on the cards, his Gellert Grindelwald isn’t going anywhere.