Released on January 1st, 2022 on Max, the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts reunion special saw the franchise’s lead actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, followed by Tom Felton and others. However, fans stickingly noticed the absence of the Harry Potter series’ author, J.K. Rowling from the event.
Despite being invited, as the sole creator of the Wizarding World, J.K. Rowling declined the invitation, and her refusal sparked chaos and speculation. Fans started assuming that Rowling avoided the event because of the massive backlash she faced for her anti-trans views. However, the author later clarified the reason behind her conspicuous absence from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.
J.K. Rowling’s Absence from the Harry Potter Reunion Sparked Controversies
When HBO in collaboration with Warner Bros. came up with Harry Potter reunion – Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, it turned out to be a momentous event for fans of the franchise worldwide. Featuring the iconic leads Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, alongside Tom Felton and other fan-favorite actors, the reunion special became a cherished experience for all.
However, while the veteran principal cast members, the four directors of the film series, and producer David Heyman appeared on the anniversary special, fans noticed one person’s absence from the event. It was none other than the renowned author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling. Although the author was featured through a 30-second clip from archival footage of interviews, Rowling didn’t show up in real-time.
Despite being invited, as J.K. Rowling declined the invitation, her absence from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts sparked controversies. Witnessing her sole presence in the reunion special through a 30-second clip from 2019, fans were quick to speculate the reasons behind her absence. As chaos spread like wildfire, netizens began assuming that perhaps her absence had something to do with the massive backlash that she faced for voicing her sentiments against the trans community.
Rowling Explained Why She Denied Being a Part of the Harry Potter Reunion
As speculations and controversies started overflowing, J.K. Rowling was seemingly forced to address her absence from Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. The author, therefore, came out clean on why she actually denied the invitation while speaking with Graham Norton on Virgin Radio UK, archived by The Rowling Library. The author debunked viewers’ presumption of her absence from the event.
“I was asked to be on that. I decided I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was about the films more than the books, quite rightly, that was what the anniversary was about. No one said ‘don’t’. I was asked to do it and I decided not to.”
Clarifying that she was actually invited to the reunion event, J.K. Rowling admitted to denying the invitation. The author explained how her decision was solely based on what she had assumed the reunion might be about. Rowling claimed that while she expected the event to be more about the books, they were actually focused on the films. Therefore, she denied participation.
Further, according to EW, it was J.K. Rowling’s team who “determined the archived comments from the writer were adequate”. Meanwhile, although Rowling skipped the anniversary special, she later made a rare public appearance at the red carpet premiere of the Harry Potter spinoff film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts is available on Max.
