J.K. Rowling certainly shocked many Harry Potter fans when she made her transphobic views public in June 2020. She was not met with support from stars of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Eddie Redmayne, who expressed their activism for transgender and non-binary rights. However, HBO has backed Rowling despite her being a TERF.
Prominent Harry Potter fan communities like MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron condemned and denounced Rowling’s comments too, even distancing themselves from her future projects. However, controversies aside, HBO has endorsed and promoted the development of a Harry Potter television series, this time making it clear that Rowling is personally involved.
In remarks made to Variety, an HBO representative spoke about the author’s strong ties with Warner Bros., stating that her work is critical and invaluable. The statement read, “We are proud to once again tell the story of Harry Potter—the heartwarming books that speak to the power of friendship, resolve, and acceptance.”
Despite Rowling’s views being disparaging to the transgender community, HBO feels she has a right to her own personal ideas and thoughts. The statement continued, “J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
HBO executive Casey Bloys previously backed her, adding that Rowling was instrumental in the decision to hire the writer and director for the series. Bloys did say that people’s hiring decisions were not affected by her transphobic views, but it is unknown if transgender people currently working on the project were ever hired.
In the past, Rowling has made several posts that show her anti-trans bias and has used incorrect pronouns for certain people intentionally. She has gone as far as labeling transgender women as ‘predators,’ which has earned her the label of ‘TERF’ (trans-exclusionary radical feminist). From September to November of 2023, she was reported to have sent more than 200 messages related to trans issues on X, while Harry Potter only got her attention nine times in total.
ALSO READ: ‘Absolutely Right’: Elon Musk Backs Harry Potter Creator J.K. Rowling’s Thoughts On Gender Dysphoria
