JK Rowling has already found herself at odds with Snape actor Paapa Essiedu ahead of the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series.
The divide surrounding HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series has deepened, as several Potter franchise actors—both past and present—signed an open letter opposing the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court decision affirming that the legal definition of “sex” refers to biological sex. Among the signatories were Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne, original film series actress Katie Leung, and most notably Paapa Essiedu, who will portray Severus Snape in the new television adaptation.
Paapa Essiedu performing in Royal Shakespeare’s Hamlet – YouTube, LOWRY
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The open letter, which drew over 2,000 signatures from within the entertainment and academic industries, claimed the court’s ruling “undermines the lived reality and threatens the safety” of individuals who identify differently from their birth sex. It prompted backlash across social media, with critics and supporters of J.K. Rowling once again colliding in a very public debate.
Rowling, who had celebrated the UK court’s decision as a win for sex-based rights, posted a lengthy essay on X addressing the letter and those who signed it.
A post from JK Rowling on X pushing back against the letter opposing the UK’s stance on gender – X, @jk_rowling
“In light of recent open letters from academia and the arts criticising the UK’s Supreme Court ruling on sex-based rights, it’s possibly worth remembering that nobody sane believes, or has ever believed, that humans can change sex, or that binary sex isn’t a material fact,” Rowling wrote.
She added, “These letters do nothing but remind us of what we know only too well: that pretending to believe these things has become an elitist badge of virtue.”
Rowling continued, saying, “Some argue that signatories of these sorts of letters are motivated by fear: fear for their careers, of course, but also fear of their co-religionists, who include angry, narcissistic men who threaten and sometimes enact harm on non-believers; back-stabbing colleagues ever ready to report wrongthink; the online shamers and doxxers, and, of course, the influential zealots in the upper echelons of liberal professions.”
J.K. Rowling via misshef YouTube
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Rowling stopped short of naming specific individuals, but her remarks came shortly after Paapa Essiedu confirmed his participation in the upcoming HBO series—despite his name appearing on the open letter. This prompted some online to call for his removal from the project.
Rowling addressed those demands directly in another social media post.
“I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did,” Rowling said in the face of the Paapa Essiedu controversy. “I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.”
I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine. pic.twitter.com/nKcAl3gcvO
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 5, 2025
Despite the renewed public tension, HBO remains committed to the reboot. Network CEO Casey Bloys said earlier this year, “I think it’s pretty clear that those are her personal political views. She’s entitled to them. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.”
As executive producer, Rowling maintains a prominent position on the project but has made it clear she will not use that role to target actors with differing beliefs. Her focus, she stated, remains on ensuring the story stays faithful to the original books.
J.K. Rowling via The Rowling Library YouTube
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“Court losses are starting to stack up,” Rowling wrote, referring to recent legal developments. “Women are fighting back and winning significant victories.”
The Harry Potter television series is expected to debut in 2026 and will retell each of Rowling’s seven books across a planned decade-long adaptation. The cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, and Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell. Showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod will lead production under HBO, Warner Bros. Television, and Brontë Film and TV.
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 – YouTube, MovieClips
Though the cast remains incomplete, Rowling’s public responses signal she has no intention of stepping back from the project—or the cultural debate surrounding it.
What do you think of Rowling and her response to Paapa Essiedu? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!
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