JK Rowling is scurrying after her name popped up multiple times in The Epstein Files. The US Department of Justice released another batch of the highly anticipated documents related to the sex trafficker.
All over social media the Epstein Files are trending, and the Harry Potter author finds herself at the center of some of these conversations. Epstein argued that he was invited to an event for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. When he was turned away at the door in April of 2018, the party organizers made sure to not let him in. Rowling quickly hopped on X to deny the allegations from fans who have noted her championing other causes to “protect children,” but notice that the most famous pedophile in history somehow thought he had an invite to her event.
Rowling wrote, “This is beyond silly. Neither I, nor anybody on my team, ever met, communicated with or invited Jeffrey Epstein to anything.” Despite that rather curt argument on social media, the people of the Internet aren’t letting the issue go. The breadth of people named in these files both before, and after, Epstein was convicted and known as a pedophile is vast. (2018 is well-after the point where he was a public unknown by the way.)
Deadline reports that two days before the curtain went up on that show, Epstein associate Peggy Siegal emailed Playground Entertainment. She asked if a “very important friend” wanted to “come see the spectacle.” Epstein wasn’t directly named, but his presence after the fact helps connect some dots there. Playground Entertainment head Colin Callender replied that they would “get him in.” But, he never got into the party because he wasn’t on the written invite list.
Epstein Files draw JK Rowling into their orbit
All of this timing must be interesting for Rowling as Warner Bros. marches ahead with rebooting the Harry Potter series as a massive TV show. The series faces stiff headwinds as Wizarding World retains a partially dedicated fanbase, but there are people out there who have sworn off the series. Harry Potter is inextricable from Rowling’s anti-trans crusades on social media and elsewhere. It’s gotten to the point where even actors who chose to be a part of this show are being taken to task by fans for choosing profit over solidarity with the people the creator torments on a daily basis.
Jonathan Lithgow is slated to play Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming Harry Potter reboot. And he talked about fans objecting to his choice during the Rotterdam Film Festival! Despite that outcry, the star isn’t turning down the job. The Independent collected his thoughts on the matter. He knows trans people and allies are upset, but Lithgow is prioritizing the story.
“JK Rowling has created this amazing canon for young people, young kids’ literature that has jumped into the consciousness of society. Young and old people love Harry Potter and the Harry Potter stories,” Lithgow argued. “It’s so much about acceptance. It’s about good versus evil. I find it ironic and somewhat inexplicable that Rowling has expressed such views. I’ve read about them, and I’ve never met her.”
“It upsets me when people are vehemently opposed to me having anything to do with this. But in Potter canon, you see no trace of transphobic sensitivity,” he added. “[Rowling] has written this meditation of kindness and acceptance. And Dumbledore is a beautiful role.”
(featured image: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Image)
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