JK Rowling justified her conspicuous absence from “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” by saying that she had declined an invitation to take part in the special broadcast.
The author of the original Harry Potter series only appeared in a few segments of Return to Hogwarts in excerpts from a 2019 interview. Her limited presence was noticed by critics and audiences around the special’s premiere on HBO Max on January 1 of this year.
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Some viewers suspected that Rowling’s absence was due to her problematic public image in recent years. The author has been mired in controversy as she continues to express views that are seen as harmful to the trans community, such as her opposition to legislation that would make it easier for transgender people to legally change their gender. Franchise stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have made public statements in support of the trans community since Rowling first ran into controversy.
However, in an interview with Graham Norton on Virgin Radio UK on Saturday, Rowling claimed that her absence from Return to Hogwarts was her own decision.
“Not really,” Rowling said after Norton claimed she was “excluded” from the reunion special.
“I was asked if I wanted to be involved. I decided I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was more about the films than the books, and rightly so,” Rowling continued. “Nobody said, ‘Don’t do it.’ I was asked if I wanted to be involved, and I decided not to.”
Entertainment Weekly had previously reported that Rowling had been invited to participate in the special, but her team “determined that the author’s archived comments were sufficient.”
Although Rowling skipped the anniversary special, she later made a rare public appearance at the red carpet premiere of the “Potter” spin-off “Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets,” which she co-wrote with Steve Kloves. However, Rowling did not speak to the press at the event or pose for group photos with the film’s cast.
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