Recommendations of the Editorial team
Keira Knightley explained that before she joined the voice cast of “Harry Potter: The Full Cast Audio Editions” she “didn’t know about the call for a boycott of Harry Potter because of JK Rowling’s anti-transsexual comments.”
In an interview with Decider, the interviewer pointed out that actress Professor Umbridge speaks for Pottermore Publishing and Audible’s Harry Potter audiobooks and asked her if she was aware that some fans had called for a boycott of the series.
“I wasn’t aware of that, no. I’m very sorry,” Knightley told the magazine. “You know, I think we’re all living in a time right now where we have to figure out how to live together, right? And we all have very different opinions. I hope we can all find respect for each other.”
Reactions to Rowling’s transphobic comments
Rowling has repeatedly made or supported transphobic comments for years, drawing criticism from both “Harry Potter” fans and actors such as Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe.
In an interview with “On Purpose With Jay Shetty” last month, Watson spoke about how she is dealing with the time she spent with “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling – even though she publicly condemned her and Radcliffe for opposing her anti-trans stance.
“I truly do not believe that because of this experience and my love, support and views, I cannot and should not appreciate Jo and the person with whom I have had personal experiences,” Watson said. “I will never believe that one negates the other and that I don’t get to keep and value my experiences with that person. And I just don’t believe that those things are either/or.”
Watson added: “It is my deepest wish that people who disagree with me love me, and I hope that I can continue to love people with whom I don’t necessarily agree.”
Rowling’s reaction to Watson’s statements
After Watson’s nuanced take on their relationship, JK Rowling responded with harsh criticism of the actress, calling her “ignorant.” In a lengthy post on Platform X, Rowling dismissed Watson’s account:
“Like other people who have never experienced adult life without the protection of wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life that she doesn’t know how ignorant she is,” the author wrote.
While Rowling acknowledged that she “doesn’t owe eternal approval to any actress who has ever played a character I created,” she called the idea “ridiculous.” She added:
“Emma Watson and her co-stars have every right to embrace gender identity ideology. Such beliefs are protected by law, and I don’t want them to face job loss, violence or death because of it.”