J.K. Rowling says it was her choice not to appear in ‘Harry Potter’ reunion

By Marianne Garvey, CNN

J.K. Rowling says she was invited to participate in the “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” reunion special earlier this year but declined.

The “Harry Potter” author was on Graham Norton’s “Radio Show” podcast, where she said “no one said don’t come” to the reunion, she just decided she didn’t want to participate.

“Yeah, I was asked to be on that and I decided I didn’t want to do it,” she said of the HBO Max special. “I thought it was about the films more than the books, you know, quite rightly. I mean, that was what the anniversary was about.”

At the time, it was speculated that Rowling’s absence was due to controversy around views the writer has expressed that have been criticized by some as transphobic. Cast members Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Eddie Redmayne made statements in support of the trans community.

The special acknowledged Rowling’s contribution to the film franchise by incorporating material from a 2019 interview. (HBO Max, like CNN, is part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

Rowling told Graham she still talks to the cast.

“I have. Yes, I do,” she said. “I mean, some more than others, but that was always the case. You know some I knew better than others.”

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