Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is getting criticized on social media for saying that her massive wealth is enough to keep her happy as she devotes her life to opposing equal rights for transgender people.
She shared a screenshot of a tweet from an unknown person that read: “How do you sleep at night knowing you’ve lost a whole audience from buying your books?”
“I read my most recent royalty cheques and find the pain goes away pretty quickly,” she responded.
I read my most recent royalty cheques and find the pain goes away pretty quickly. pic.twitter.com/s4gl9rlqxl
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 13, 2022
The person who wrote her was likely referring to her years of transphobic statements that have alienated many of her fans, including Chaz Bono and several actors who work on the Harry Potter movies.
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“For me personally, it’s been really difficult, because I happen to be a Harry Potter fanatic,” Bono said in 2020 about hearing that Rowling opposes transgender rights. “When the person who writes your favorite series of books about oppressed people decides to start oppressing you, it’s very strange it doesn’t make any sense. It’s hard to wrap your head around.”
Others on Twitter pointed out that Rowling saying she’s too wealthy to care about hurting people is perhaps not the response she thinks it is.
This is like the most classic rich villain thing you could say pic.twitter.com/ZKJ89SuOIZ
— Lily Simpson has blue hair + pronouns (@LilySimpson1312) October 13, 2022
What's great is the Simpsons already has a sequence that's pretty much exactly this pic.twitter.com/gfD8qjIHXS
— Gaspard Delanwe (@TakahaneKazan) October 14, 2022
no one should have to say this but if your feminism doesn't include trans women it isn't feminism at all
supporting jkr in any capacity and being a feminist are mutually exclusive
super disappointing @mindykaling pic.twitter.com/28fdfyTL2P
— Men Write Women (@menwritewomen) October 14, 2022
You hurt and alienated 100s of 1000s of former fans and $$ wont remove that from your conscience
— (((Mother))) 🌻🦂🎃(back on my Toxic Arc) (@punishedmother) October 13, 2022
Frankie Boyle summed JK Rowling up very well here
'Sitting on a mountain of children's pocket money, like a dragon in a ****ing fairy story"pic.twitter.com/LFAEZl2AmA
— #HumanChain #FreeAssangeNow (@TheBirmingham6) October 13, 2022
What a terrible and cynical perspective – are we sure this person actually wrote these books?
— Dallas Ducar 🇺🇸 (@DallasDucar) October 14, 2022
and *this* is why i cannot separate the art from the artist, she truly does not care about the harm she causes and is continuing to profit from royalties and the fandom’s refusal to divest pic.twitter.com/OswIr7hYtw
— david alexander (@DavidADC) October 13, 2022
and yet you feel the need to publicly reassure the public that you're not bothered by this lmao
— 𝓢𝓪𝓶 👁️ (@SamtheNightOwl) October 13, 2022
“I’m filthy rich and none of this has a material effect on me” is quite a bold response for why you are okay with being a opponent to an entire minority group you regularly fear monger against.
— Maxine Violet (@Maxineviolet) October 13, 2022
You singled out and vilified an extremely vulnerable minority group.
I can't help but think about kids who are struggling with their identity and just want acceptance.
You, with your massive platform, have made it harder for them. And that sucks.
— Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) October 14, 2022
sitting alone in my castle tweeting about how not mad I am that everyone hates me because I'm actually very rich, yes this is the good life, this is what it's all about
— ∃(trump)∃(biden){t≠b ∧ ¬BLM(t) ∧ ¬BLM(b)} ⇒ 🔥ᐳ🗳️ (@antifa_saboteur) October 14, 2022
My late husband adored your writing. He would loathe what you’ve become. Cling to your royalties. “On those cold winter nights you can snuggle up to your cash register, it’s a little lumpy but it rings,” As Dolly Levi once said.
— Uncensored. Unfiltered. Unhinged. (@reallykarel) October 13, 2022
Money over recognizing the humanity of an amazing group of people. Got it.
— Debi Jackson (@the_debijackson) October 14, 2022
How is this remotely relevant? Obviously u still get royalty cheques. You're a wildly successful author, and, in terms of children's books, I'd argue for good reason. How in the world does that equate to you being either a compassionate person now, or an increasingly hateful one?
— MaggieTulliver, PhD (@maggie_xer) October 13, 2022
I’m truly sorry for you. Your idea of success is very sad.
— Alexandra Billings (@IamABillings) October 13, 2022
The main character in your opus is wealthy with a poverty stricken best friend he chooses to not help.
Which makes a lot of sense in retrospect.
— 🎃Jhack Nicholson (the guy from The Shining) (@WhackNicholson) October 14, 2022
Perhaps you should listen to Jamie Lee Curtice whilst you are counting your money. pic.twitter.com/BClBRMxKM4
— Louise Marshall (She/Her) (@andrealouise111) October 13, 2022
Daniel Radcliffe (the actor who played Harry Potter in the film adaptations) and other actors from the film series publicly denounced her views, fan sites have begun cutting ties to her, authors have begun fleeing her literary agent, the staff at her publisher refused to work on her new book, and her sales have slowed down as news of her transphobia spreads. Even an organization that gave her a humanitarian award called her views “deeply troubling.”
Rowling tried defending her transphobia in a 3,700-word rambling essay. Her words have since been used to kill pro-transgender legislation in the United States.
