JK Rowling has finally broken her silence on the Harry Potter reunion after she took an entire year off Twitter amid intense backlash she received surrounding comments she has made online about transgenderism.
The 57-year-old author has finally addressed claims she wasn't invited to be included in the Harry Potter movies' 20th anniversary reunion special at the beginning of the year.
The reunion, Return To Hogwarts, was released on January 1, and viewers were left surprised as the special failed to feature the author, apart from the inclusion of a number of clips of old archive footage.
Following rumours that Rowling wasn't asked to be apart of the reunion special, the Harry Potter author has now broken her silence after an entire year, insisting she simply declined the invitation to take part alongside the franchise's biggest stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
Speaking with Graham Norton on Virgin Radio, the author put the speculation to bed when she insisted: "I was asked to be on that and I decided I didn't want to be a part of it.
"It was about the films not the books, quite rightly. That was what the anniversary was about. So no one said don't [do it]… I was asked to do it and I decided not to."
Rowling also clarified she was never advised against making an appearance on the reunion show.
Instead, she insisted it was her own decision not to take part, following fan speculation around her absence.
The author's revelation comes after she faced intense backlash following controversial comments she made about the transgender community.
Rowling was met with accusations of transphobia after taking issue with a headline on an article discussing 'people who menstruate' and a massive debate ensued after she addressed the controversy in a lengthy essay in which she laid out her beliefs.
In June 2020, the author took to Twitter to explain the reasoning behind her 'controversial' comments.
"If sex isn't real, there's no same sex attraction. If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased," she penned.
"I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn't hate to speak the truth.
"The idea that women like me, who've been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they're vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - 'hate' trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense.
"I respect every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I'd march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans.
"At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so."
Following the controversy, Rowling made the decision to quit Twitter, and took a year off the social media platform.
In her candid chat with host Graham Norton, the Harry Potter creator explained that that side of social media can sometimes feel like an incredibly toxic place for her.
The star admitted that she now has a 'love hate relationship' with the platform after taking a year off from using it.
"I did actually take a whole year of Twitter or quite a long time and then when Covid happened. I actually didn't go back on for the pub brawl stuff, I went back on because i wanted to do the The Ickabog - a children’s book for those who don't know - and I wanted to put it out for free and twitter was a really good," she told.
"'Social media can be a lot of fun and I do like the pub argument aspect of it. That can be a fun thing to do, but there's no doubt that social media is a gift for people that want to behave," the author added.
