When the splashy Harry Potter reunion aired earlier this summer, there was one glaring absence: the person who created the franchise. Why was J.K. Rowling AWOL from a special about her creation? It might have something to do with her coming out as a massive TERF who can’t shut up about her anti-transgender beliefs. She’s been quiet about her absence, but now she’s saying there was only one person who kept her from showing up: herself.
During an appearance on Graham Norton’s Radio Show Podcast (as caught by The Hollywood Reporter), Rowling claimed that when the special was being prepped, “no one said don’t come.” Indeed, she alleged, they even approached her to take part.
“Yeah, I was asked to be on that and I decided I didn’t want to do it,” she told Norton. “I thought it was about the films more than the books, you know, quite rightly. I mean, that was what the anniversary was about.”
Fans of Harry Potter — as well as the prequel series Fantastic Beasts — have seemed to have found a way to enjoy one of their favorite IPs while all but erasing its creator’s existence. The stars of the original films have all issued measured responses that distance themselves from Rowling’s anti-trans comments while not entirely denouncing the person who made them who they are. But perhaps even Rowling knew that her presence would not be welcome. Indeed, the special did its best to barely even mention her. Still, at least Warner Bros. is still proud to be working with her.
(Via THR)