JK Rowling says she chose not to appear in Harry Potter reunion special: ‘I was asked to do it and I decided not to’-Louise Griffin-Entertainment – Metro

JK Rowling spoke out about the Harry Potter reunion special (Picture: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Warner Bros.)

JK Rowling has said she was asked to appear in Return To Hogwarts, the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special, and chose not to.

Cast members from the films, including Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) reminisced on the film franchise in the special, which was released on New Year’s Day this year.

Addressing her absence, Rowling told Graham Norton on his Virgin radio show: ‘I was asked to be on that and I decided I didn’t want to do it.

‘I decided it was about the films more than the books, you know? Quite rightly, that’s what the anniversary was about. I was asked to do it and I decided not to.’

Rowling only appeared in archival footage in the anniversary special, which also featured cast members including Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, Robbie Coltrane, Gary Oldman, and Imelda Staunton.

Over the past couple of years, many fans have expressed their disappointment after the author spoke out about transgender people.

The cast reunited in the special (Picture: HBO Max)

Rowling faced criticism after her comments about transgender people (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

She had commented on a story with a headline that read: ‘Opinion: Creating a more equal post-Covid-19 world for people who menstruate.’

Taking issue with the phrasing, JK wrote: ‘”People who menstruate”. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’

While she has continued to face backlash over her views, she has denied being transphobic.

Following Rowling’s comments, many of the Harry Potter cast, including Daniel, Rupert, and Emma, shared statements of support for the transgender community.

Others, including John Cleese and Robbie Coltrane, came to her defence

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