In a recent interview with Decider, Keira Knightley revealed that before joining the voice cast of Audible’s "Harry Potter: The Full Cast Audio Editions" as Professor Umbridge, she was "blissfully unaware" of the fan-led boycott of all things "Harry Potter" sparked by J.K. Rowling’s controversial statements regarding the transgender community. "You know, I think we’re all navigating a particularly charged moment in history right now, one where we’re all going to have to grapple with how to coexist, aren’t we?" Knightley mused. "And we all hold deeply different perspectives. My hope is that we can find a way to respect one another despite those differences."
The backlash against Rowling first erupted in 2020, after the author posted a series of tweets and a 3,600-word essay that many deemed transphobic. In the ensuing weeks, "Harry Potter" stars Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint all took to social media to voice their support for the trans community. Watson further delved into her complex relationship with Rowling during a recent episode of "On Purpose With Jay Shetty." When the host pressed Watson about Rowling’s claim that she would "never forgive" Watson for her stance and that the "Harry Potter" films were now tarnished because of Watson and her co-stars, Watson responded with grace and nuance.
"I truly don’t believe that holding the love, support, and views that I do means I can’t or don’t cherish Jo and the person I’ve experienced personally," Watson said. "I will never accept that one negates the other, or that my experience of her as a person is something I must relinquish. To circle back to what we were discussing earlier—I just don’t think life is this black-and-white. My deepest hope is that people who disagree with me will still love me, and that I can continue to love those whose opinions don’t align with my own."
Not long after, Rowling took to X (formerly Twitter) to lash out at Watson, branding her "ignorant" and lacking in "real-life experience." "I’m under no obligation to expect eternal agreement from any actor who once portrayed a character I created," Rowling wrote. "The notion is as absurd as me consulting the supervisor I had at 21 about what opinions I should hold today. Emma Watson and her co-stars are entirely within their rights to embrace gender identity ideology. Such beliefs are legally protected, and I would never wish to see any of them face threats to their livelihood, safety, or lives because of them."
