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Report: J.K. Rowling To Appear In ‘Harry Potter’ Reunion Special Amid Backlash Against Author By Trans Activists

(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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J.K. Rowling will reportedly appear in the upcoming “Harry Potter” 20th anniversary reunion special, “Return to Hogwarts,” amid a backlash against the author by trans activists.

In a newly released preview obtained by The Independent, the 56-year-old author reportedly appeared in a scene where fellow cast members of the franchise like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint talked about the impact she’s made on each of their lives with her creation of the book series. The comments were noted by the outlet in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: Activists Try To Cancel Dave Chappelle For New Comedy Special)

“I think it’s very easy to forget that at the time, people were talking about ‘the death of reading,'” Radcliffe reportedly said. (RELATED: ‘Harry Potter’ Star Robbie Coltrane Defends J.K. Rowling Trans Comments, Slams ‘Twitter Generation’ Waiting ‘To Be Offended’)

“One of the many reasons I admire JK so much is that millions now read books who would never have lifted a book up in their lives, and you suddenly realise the power of writing,” actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid, reportedly added.

The scene then reportedly turned to an interview with Rowling talking about the challenges they went through trying to find the right person who would be Harry Potter.

“We couldn’t find Harry!” Rowling said, in a segment filmed in 2019, the report noted. “We just couldn’t find Harry, and it was getting kind of weird, and panicky.”

Earlier reports claimed that the novelist had been “snubbed” from the production due to the backlash over her comments she made in 2020 about transgender people, the outlet noted.

Rowling previously came under attack after she tweeted an article from the web site Devex titled, “Creating a more equal post COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.”

“People who menstruate,” the author tweeted. “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

The reunion special airs on HBO Max Jan. 1 and will feature original cast members Radcliffe, Grint, Coltrane, Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton and more.