Latest in J.K. Rowling

Jason Isaacs, best known for his role as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, addressed the controversy swirling around J.K. Rowling in an interview published today by The Telegraph regarding the author’s statements on the transgender community. In the past, Rowling has publicly stated that "sex is real and has…

(UPDATED with social media postings by Dear White People EP) A day before Dave Chappelle’s Untitled documentary is set to screen at the Hollywood Bowl and the comedian is expected onstage, his new Netflix special The Closer is generating a growing backlash over remarks about the trans and LGBTQ+ communities. “Gender…

UPDATE, with new start date The new, one-play version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will begin performances four days earlier than previously announced, with the start now set for Friday, Nov. 12, at Broadway’s Lyric Theatre. No reason for the move was detailed in the announcement today. Previous, June 28 A new…

Warner Bros. has appointed the studio’s Kids, Young Adult and Classics President Tom Ascheim to manage its lucrative Wizarding World and Harry Potter franchise. WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group Chair, Ann Sarnoff, made it official today and Ascheim will report directly to her. He’ll add his oversight of the…

John Cleese, famous for outraging millions in his Monty Python roles, is at it again. In a tweetstorm Sunday, the 81-year-old comedian defended J.K. Rowling and questioned aspects of transgender rights. "Deep down, I want to be a Cambodian police woman. Is that allowed, or am I being unrealistic?" Cleese tweeted in…

During Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” segment, Pete Davidson gave his two cents on J.K. Rowling’s transphobic comments. When Colin Jost asked what The King of Staten Island star thought of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts author’s comments, Davidson said her comments were “very disappointing” and that he…

Author J.K. Rowling has returned a 2019 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization honor after the group’s president Kerry Kennedy condemned the Harry Potter writer’s tweets as “transphobic” and “deeply troubling.” In a lengthy, 600-word-plus statement posted yesterday on her website, Rowling denies the charge of…

J.K. Rowling and The Handmaid’s Tale scribe Margaret Atwood are among 150 writers, academics and activists to sign an open letter published by Harper’s bemoaning the “restriction of debate” in modern culture. Rowling, who has been at the center of a rancorous online debate about transgender rights in recent weeks, put…

Two big Harry Potter fan sites, unhappy over author J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender people, said today they will no longer provide links to her personal website, use photos of her, or write about her outside of her role in creating the fantasy world they love. The sites, Leaky Caldron and Mugglenet, said in a…

Harry Potter franchise co-star Rupert Grint has joined his castmates Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in defending trans rights after comments made last weekend by J.K. Rowling. Grint, who played Ron Weasley in Warner Bros’ Harry Potter series of films, released a statement Friday in the UK, saying: “I firmly stand…

Harry Potter star Emma Watson has become the latest figure to weigh in on the controversy provoked by the book series author J.K. Rowling's series of tweets about trans people. "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say…

Warner Bros. has finally weighed in regarding Wizarding World architect J.K. Rowling’s recent remarks on the trans community, which have sparked controversy since she tweeted Saturday. Here is Warners’ full statement: The events in the last several weeks have firmed our resolve as a company to confront difficult…