Once one of the most universally beloved children's book authors of all time, JK Rowling is now regarded as a much more divisive figure - and has even drawn criticism from former Harry Potter castmates.
The novelist, who soared to fame after writing the wildly popular wizarding world series, has in recent years drawn plenty of controversy for her opinions on sex and gender, in particular her thoughts regarding proposed gender recognition bills that would make it easier for transgender individuals to have their preferred gender legally recognised.
Although Rowling has previously tweeted that she respects "every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them", she has expressed views that have led to her being dubbed a TERF (Trans exclusionary radical feminist) by critics.
In a 2020 essay on her website, the 58-year-old publicly shared concerns over transwomen using female bathrooms, writing: "When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman… you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside."
A number of individuals believe Rowling's views to be transphobic, amid a time of escalating transgender-related hate crimes. In the year ending March 2023, the Home Office recorded a total of 4,732 hate crimes against trans people - showing a rise of 11 per cent on the previous year. As Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them airs again on TV this Christmas period, we look at creator Rowling's life now, from being shunned by castmates, to receiving an apology from the BBC.
Home life and incredible net worth
According to Rowling's official website, she has been married to Dr Neil Murray since 2001. The couple live in Edinburgh with their children, David, born 2003, and Mackenzie, born 2005. After struggling financially early on in her career, Rowling rose to fame and fortune following the enormous success of the Harry Potter series, and is now estimated to be worth a whopping £875 million, according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2023.
Several of the books were penned in a gorgeous £2.25 million mansion situated in the Scottish capital, complete with a writer's room in the picturesque walled garden. The period property sold in 2009 after being on the market for just six weeks, clocking up more than 16,000 views on the estate agent's website.
Rowling didn't always enjoy such a comfortable lifestyle however, and wrote the first Harry Potter book as a struggling single mother who felt like a 'failure'. Opening up about her experiences of poverty during her now famous 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University, Rowling said: "The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned."
BBC apology
The BBC had to issue two apologies to mum-of-three Rowling in the space of just one month back in February. On the first occasion, the BBC received nearly 200 complaints after Radio 4 newsreader Evan Davis didn't challenge guest Stacey Henley after she accused Rowling of pushing 'transphobia' during a February 2 discussion about the Harry Potter game, Hogwarts Legacy.
The Gamer editor-in-chief Henley, who is a transwoman, accused Rowling of actively campaigning 'against trans people', and although Davis later stated that Rowling 'wouldn't say she's transphobic', a number of listeners felt Henley's assertions hadn't been sufficiently challenged. Following the backlash, the broadcaster released the following statement: "We do accept that there wasn't sufficient challenge to the claims that were made and that we fell short here.
"Clearly, JKRowling has been at the centre of a lot of controversy for her views, and that has led some to call for the new game Harry Potter Legacy to be boycotted. We wanted to explore that debate among fans and it was not meant to be an examination of JK Rowling's position per se.
"Evan Davis has since tweeted that he should have made it clearer that Stacey Henley's view of J.K Rowling is her own premise for boycotting the game and is heavily contested - 'I think perhaps we got stuck because we were actually trying hard not to debate JK Rowling or the substance of her views. We hadn't intended or cast it that way'. He did challenge the characterisation of her views being put forward by Stacey Henley, but we do agree this should have happened at an earlier stage during the discussion and could have been done more thoroughly. This is a difficult and contentious area which we do try very hard to cover fairly and well on the BBC. However, we should have challenged Stacey Henley more directly on her claims and apologise that we did not."
The BBC then had to apologise a second time following a February 10 discussion on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland show. This conversation also centred around Hogwarts Legacy, during which transgender writer Carrie Marshall claimed she had chosen to boycott the game altogether as it was being used to 'fund the anti-trans movement'.
Although Rowling wasn't involved in the creation of the game, she does earn royalties from it, sparking concern among some trans activists. Marshall stated: "This is having a measurable effect on trans people's lives and potentially our safety. I think that's why so many people are concerned about this game."
Issuing their second apology, the BBC stated: "The debate got into the issue of gender identity and claims were made about JK Rowling's views. We accept that the programme failed to challenge these claims and acknowledge that our contributors gave their opinion as fact. This fell below the rigorous editorial standards we've applied to our broad coverage of trans and gender recognition stories across BBC Scotland's news and current affairs output, and we apologise for that."
Castmate criticism
A number of those who acted in the Harry Potter films have spoken out against Rowling's views, including the three central stars of the blockbuster franchise, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. In an essay for LGBTQ+ suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project in June 2020, Radcliffe, who played the main character Harry Potter in fantasy series, wrote: "Transgender women are women.
"Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I." The 34-year-old actor continued: "It's clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.
"To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you." Watson, who played the studious Hermione Granger, has also shown support for the trans community over the years.
After Rowling published her controversial blog post in 2020, Watson, 33, addressed her transgender followers via Twitter, letting them know that she "and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are". She continued: "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 they are."
Grint, who played Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley, has also made his position on the matter clear. In a statement given to The Sunday Times, shortly after Rowling's views came to light, Grint, 35, said: "I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment."
Current projects
Although she's best known for the Harry Potter series, Rowling has written a number of other books in the years since the final dramatic instalment. Her Cormoran Strike series, written under the pen name Robert Galbraith, has proven to be particularly popular with fans, with the seventh book The Running Grave reaching number one on bestseller lists in the UK, US, and Australia back in October.
Explaining the reasoning behind using a pseudonym on the Robert Galbraith website, Rowling said: "I really wanted to go back to the beginning of a writing career in this new genre, to work without hype or expectation and to receive totally unvarnished feedback. I wanted it to be just about the writing. It was a fantastic experience and I only wish it could have gone on a little longer than it did. I was grateful at the time for all the feedback from publishers and readers, and for some great reviews. Being Robert Galbraith was all about the work, which is my favourite part of being a writer. Since my cover has been blown, I continue to write as Robert to keep the distinction from other writing and because I rather enjoy having another persona."
JK Rowling wished not to comment on the criticism she has received.
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