Regarding her absence from the Harry Potter reunion special that aired earlier this year, J.K. Rowling has ended her silence. The author gave an explanation for why she wasn't included in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, which had its HBO Max debut on January 1 along with the main cast.
Rowling clarified to host Graham Norton that her absence wasn't due to a lack of invitation. She stated: "I was asked to be on that, and I decided I didn't want to do it. I thought it was about films more than books, quite rightly. That was what the anniversary was about. No one said don't [do it]... I was asked to do it and I decided not to", via People.
Rowling's absence from the reunion special was widely assumed to be related to the issue surrounding her transphobic remarks, which were condemned by the actors of the Harry Potter films as well. The author also discussed her use of social media in the recent interview, specifically addressing the recent death threat she received after tweeting about Salman Rushdie. She stated: "I try to behave online as I would like others to behave... I've never threatened anyone."
After appearing to advocate anti-transgender prejudice in a string of tweets in 2020, the author faced intense backlash online. Even still, she vehemently rejected that her views on feminism are transphobic and detailed her divisive viewpoint in an essay posted on her website.
