In a twist that even the Hogwarts professor of Divination, the study of telling the future, Sybill Trewlaney couldn’t have predicted, J.K. Rowling has addressed the controversy surrounding actor Paapa Essiedu signing a petition to support for transgender rights and his role in the upcoming Harry Potter television series.
Essiedu, recently cast as Severus Snape in HBO’s highly anticipated reboot, was among the franchise actors who signed an open letter opposing a UK Supreme Court ruling that defines “woman” as strictly based on biological sex. The letter expressed solidarity with the trans, non-binary, and intersex communities, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in the entertainment industry.
J.K. Rowling: I Don’t Have the Power to Fire Paapa Essiedu
Before speaking on the issue about Essiedu, the controversial author tweeted about the petitioners. Part of her tweet read, “Some argue that signatories of these sorts of letters are motivated by fear: fear for their careers, of course, but also fear of their co-religionists, who include angry, narcissistic men who threaten and sometimes enact violence on non-believers; back-stabbing colleagues ever ready to report wrongthink.”
However, when a tabloid reported that she won’t have “new Harry Potter TV star sacked despite defiance” with a photo of Essiedu, Rowling tweeted a screenshot of the headline. She clarified that she doesn’t “have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
Unbothered HBO
According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO Chief Casey Bloys is not worried about the backlash because of Rowling’s anti-trans views. Bloys pointed out the success of the Hogwarts Legacy video game, which faced boycott calls as well. The game went on to be 2023’s biggest-selling game.
Bloys added, “It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. Harry Potter is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter. The decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. We’ve been in business for 25 years.”
The Harry Potter TV series is expected to air in 2026.
