Bel Powley Defends Harry Potter Casting Despite JK Rowling Backlash

Harry Potter star Bel Powley has defended accepting a role in the new TV adaptation of the books, despite the controversy surrounding the franchise’s creator JK Rowling.

The former The Morning Show star is set to appear as Aunt Petunia in the new Harry Potter TV series, the first instalment of which is set to premiere on Sky, Now and HBO Max in the UK later this year.

Powley and many more of her co-stars have faced backlash for choosing to be involved in the show, despite Rowling becoming an increasingly divisive figure due to her stance on issues relating to the transgender community.

This has included deliberately and repeatedly misgendering transgender public figures, as well as donating tens of thousands of pounds to the campaign group which raised the initial legal challenge that led to the UK Supreme Court’s ruling last year that the legal definition of a woman should include only those who were assigned female at birth (and sharing a celebratory post of herself smoking cigar once the Supreme Court’s decision was reached).

Asked about this controversy during a new interview with The Telegraph, Powley began by making it clear that she “strongly’ disagrees “with JK Rowling’s views on gender”.

“I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance,” she continued

“But,” she added, apparently throwing up her palms. “I love Harry Potter. I grew up with the books. I am from that first generation of readers and, again, I love magic and spookiness.”

John Lithgow admitted earlier this year that he had considered quitting the Harry Potter series – in which he’s set to star as Hogwarts professor Albus Dumbledore – when he began to face criticism over his involvement, but ultimately decided to remain a part of it.

Nick Frost, the new Rubeus Hagrid, also maintained that his and Rowling’s views on trans issues “don’t align in any way, shape or form”.

Meanwhile, Paapa Essiedu, the successor to the late Alan Rickman in the role of Snape, raised eyebrows when he co-signed a petition in solidarity with the transgender community, despite his participation in the new Harry Potter series, on which Rowling serves as an executive producer.