A publicist intervened when Draco Malfoy star Tom Felton was asked a question about JK Rowling at a recent Harry Potter event.
Rowling, the famed author of the Harry Potter book series, has been mired in controversy during recent years over her views on trans people.
Sky News shared a video of its reporter being shut down during the interview, which took place to promote a new attraction at the Warner Bros Studio Tour.
Sky’s Claire Gregory asked: “You and the other stars of the film are very much still the face of the franchise. JK obviously has more of a back seat now. Is it strange her not being around for things like this?”
At that point, a voice off-camera is heard saying: “Next question please.” The PR involved was not from Tom’s team, his representatives clarified.
According to The Telegraph, Sky received the following reply when it queried why its question had been blocked: “JK Rowling is not connected to Warner or Tom Felton. The team felt it was not relevant to the piece.”
The Independent has contacted representatives of Felton for comment.
The Harry Potter author has been widely criticised in recent years for her public comments, which began in June 2020 when she called out the gender-inclusive term “people who menstruate”.
Recently, The New York City and San Francisco account for Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play was met with backlash after sharing a pro-LGBT+ message in support of Pride month. Critics accused the account of hypocrisy because of Rowling’s views.
Rowling has repeatedly rejected accusations that she is transphobic, and has claimed that she “knows and loves” trans people.
