Eddie Redmayne clarifies transgender comments after he was 'misunderstood'

Eddie Redmayne has responded to the Twitter backlash he received after he made a comment about the transgender community.

Redmayne, 34, was criticised for the comment he made at the BAFTAs about his latest film The Danish Girl which sees him play transgender pioneer Lili Elbe.

Redmayne’s comment was posted on the official Twitter account for BBC Entertainment News Team: “It’s extraordinary how trans issues have come into the mainstream media since we made Danish Girl.”

Some Twitter users were quick to criticise his comments with one posting: “Someone tell Eddie Redmayne that trans women existed for some time before The Danish Girl and can speak for themselves better than he can.”

Another wrote: “Lucky for all those trans activists working tirelessly on this issue for decades that you decided to make a film then huh."

Speaking to Buzzfeed, Redmayne defended his comment, saying he hopes he has not been misunderstood.

“I hope what I said was not misunderstood. In the four years since I started work on The Danish Girl, trans stories, lives and issues have burst into the mainstream media with people like Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, Mya Taylor, Rebecca Root, Jake Graf, Caitlyn Jenner and the countless others pushing the needle forward and making history on their own terms,” he said.

“As I’ve said before, it has been an honour to be part of this conversation in some small way by sharing Lili and Gerda’s story.

“There is still a long way to go, and allies of the trans community (including me) need to continue our support.”