Novelist J.K. Rowling threatened legal action against the individual or individuals running the X account Wizarding News after the account claimed Rowling’s daughter fled to Portugal to avoid her.
Author J.K. Rowling reads from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at the Easter Egg Roll at White House. Screenshot taken from official White House video. Photo Credit: Executive Office of the President, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Rowling initially shared a screen shot of Wizarding News claiming her daughter changed her last name and fled to Portugal to avoid her. She wrote on X, “Could somebody who isn’t blocked by this account tell them this is untrue in all respects, as I suspect they already know. Lying about my kids is a new low, even by this website’s subterranean standards.”
Could somebody who isn’t blocked by this account tell them this is untrue in all respects, as I suspect they already know. Lying about my kids is a new low, even by this website’s subterranean standards. pic.twitter.com/q2Gmd9SGux
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 20, 2024
The account then doubled down and claimed Rowling is a grandmother. Rowling responded, “Again, completely false, Wizarding News. I have no grandchildren. What are you gaining by posting these lies?”
She added in a follow-up, “You’re painting a target on people who have no connection with me, who aren’t my relatives. You surely know what you’re doing, but persist. Hate me all you like, but your actions are having real world consequences for people I don’t even know.”
You’re painting a target on people who have no connection with me, who aren’t my relatives. You surely know what you’re doing, but persist. Hate me all you like, but your actions are having real world consequences for people I don’t even know.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 20, 2024
Rowling then threatened legal action and provided context by sharing a screenshot of For Women Scotland. The post from For Women Scotland reads, “This disgusting site posted pictures of the baby falsely claimed was J.K. Rowling’s grandchild with handy location details. If that child was kidnapped because of their lies, would they accept responsibility? Because the poor woman they are doxxing probably has no clue they are targeting her!”
Rowling added, “This is not a joke. The baby and its mother have no connection with me, Wizarding News. That isn’t my daughter. Your vendetta against me is causing collateral damage to innocent people. If legal action is the only way to protect them, I will take it.”
This is not a joke. The baby and its mother have no connection with me, @wizardingnews. That isn’t my daughter. Your vendetta against me is causing collateral damage to innocent people. If legal action is the only way to protect them, I will take it. pic.twitter.com/D8sLhCJcDM
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 20, 2024
Wizarding News would eventually delete the posts and a link to an Instagram account. However, Rowling demanded a retraction and apology.
She wrote, “You have me blocked, or I could respond directly, @wizardingnews. You’ve posted fabrications about my daughter. You have doxxed and targeted a young mother with no connection to me. I want a retraction and apology, or we go to lawyers.”
You have me blocked, or I could respond directly, @wizardingnews. You’ve posted fabrications about my daughter. You have doxxed and targeted a young mother with no connection to me. I want a retraction and apology, or we go to lawyers. pic.twitter.com/6GwNyYfpvY
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 20, 2024
Next, Rowling posted, “Wizarding News I’ve done everything I can to keep my children out of the public eye. My eldest daughter doesn’t owe you or anyone else details of her private life. However, for the avoidance of doubt:
1. Contrary to your claims, we are very close and last talked an hour ago. We discussed your posts, which have angered and distressed her.
2. Contrary to your claims, she doesn’t live in Portugal.
3. Contrary to your claims, she has no children.
4. The young mother whose photograph and personal details you published is not my daughter and has no relation to me whatsoever.”
She added, “You’ve published easily disproven and damaging falsehoods. Should we go to legal proceedings, you will need to show why, in spite of being told the truth, you neither retracted nor apologised. In the absence of any such retraction and apology, the next communication you receive will be from my lawyer.”
.@wizardingnews I’ve done everything I can to keep my children out of the public eye. My eldest daughter doesn’t owe you or anyone else details of her private life. However, for the avoidance of doubt:
1. Contrary to your claims, we are very close and last talked an hour ago. We…
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 20, 2024
Finally, Rowling wrote, “Wizarding News, No real apology, no retraction, continuing to insinuate I’m lying. This is not my daughter. Are you so deluded you imagine I’d deny something so easily proven, if true? Your behaviour is not only despicable but dangerous.”
.@wizardingnews No real apology, no retraction, continuing to insinuate I’m lying. This is not my daughter. Are you so deluded you imagine I’d deny something so easily proven, if true? Your behaviour is not only despicable but dangerous. pic.twitter.com/StXyemGcKP
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 21, 2024
Wizarding News claims they did indeed apologize albeit it’s clear they did not. Nevertheless, the outlet wrote, “We are unreservedly sorry… to JK Rowling’s eldest daughter… for understandably mixing her up with a VERY coincidentally named person found in multiple published online articles & biographies identifying her as such, and extrapolating & sharing inaccurate details therefrom.”
It continued, “Guess you could say we were following JKR’s example: ‘researching’ something & then immediately regurgitating it, [in our case unintentionally] spreading what some consider to be harmful falsehoods about others… which is what Rowling does to LGBTQ+ people daily.”
“We’ll be cleaning up some of the tweets she found objectionable at our earliest convenience, but this is our final word and apology on this matter. JK Rowling is the problem, not her family, and we shall be better focused going forward,” the outlet concluded.
Wizarding News on X
Despite their “apology” not being one, the outlet doubled down, “This apparently needs decoding for Jo: we apologized for wrongly repeating previously reported claims and then offering our opinions about it. You said we were wrong, and we apologized and retracted the posts long before you decided to share one of articles we used as a source.”
Wizarding News on X
What do you make of Rowling’s legal threat? How do you think this will play out?
NEXT: Actress Miriam Margolyes Tells Adult Fans Of Harry Potter To “Grow Up”
