JK Rowling may have introduced humankind to the invaluable world of wizards and magic, but she often finds herself trapped in controversies that may or may not have to do with her work. Not in a first-of-its-kind instance, the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ author has yet again found herself in a social media fight.
The author has gotten involved in a fiery exchange with a 22-year-old fan site called Wizarding News, after the website allegedly made some illegitimate claims against her. As the war broke out on social media on full display, internet is split in two.
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“This Is Untrue In All Respects”: JK Rowling Reacts To A Fan Website’s Claims About Her Family
The fight between JK Rowling and the Wizarding News began after the website on Wednesday floated some controversial claims, suggesting that Rowling had an estranged daughter and even a grandchild. However, Rowling retorted immediately as she denounced these claims as pure fiction.
“This is untrue in all respects, as I suspect they already know,” she fired back in a post. Rowling castigated the site for “lying about my kids,” labeling it as “a new low, even by this website’s subterranean standards.”
Rowling also warned the website of potential legal repercussions. “Your vendetta against me is causing collateral damage to innocent people,” she wrote. Adding clarification to her outburst, she explained, “I’ve done everything I can to keep my children out of the public eye. My eldest daughter doesn’t owe you or anyone else details of her private life.”
.@wizardingnews I've done everything I can to keep my children out of the public eye. My eldest daughter doesn't owe you or anyone else details of her private life. However, for the avoidance of doubt:
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 20, 2024
1. Contrary to your claims, we are very close and last talked an hour ago. We…
“However, for the avoidance of doubt: 1. Contrary to your claims, we are very close and last talked an hour ago. We discussed your posts, which have angered and distressed her. 2. Contrary to your claims, she doesn’t live in Portugal. 3. Contrary to your claims, she has no children. 4. The young mother whose photograph and personal details you published is not my daughter and has no relation to me whatsoever,” she added.
“You’ve published easily disproven and damaging falsehoods,” she continued. “Should we go to legal proceedings, you will need to show why, in spite of being told the truth, you neither retracted nor apologized. In the absence of any such retraction and apology, the next communication you receive will be from my lawyer,” the author wrote.
“I want a retraction and apology, or we go to lawyers,” Rowling wrote in another post.
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Wizarding World Issues An Edgy Apology For Their Miscommunication
Wizarding News later apologized in a rather odd manner. “Deleted the post with photos and link to that Instagram hours ago, Jo. Glad you seem to be self-aware enough that you’re now publicly acknowledging the hate your bigoted rhetoric engenders,” the website wrote on X.
They also extended the apology to Rowling’s daughter. “We are unreservedly sorry… to JK Rowling’s eldest daughter… for understandably mixing her up with a VERY coincidentally named person found in multiple published online articles & biographies identifying her as such, and extrapolating & sharing inaccurate details therefrom,” the account wrote.
“Guess you could say we were following JKR’s example: ‘researching’ something & then immediately regurgitating it, [in our case unintentionally] spreading what some consider to be harmful falsehoods about others… which is what Rowling does to LGBTQ+ people daily,” they continued, as they targeted her for her infamous anti-transgender stance and transphobia.
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