Hogwarts Legacy publisher says J.K. Rowling ‘has the right to her opinions’ amid transphobia criticism

The president of Warner Bros. Games has addressed the recent announcement of Hogwarts Legacy and its relationship to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Rowling has recently been criticised for making several transphobic comments on her Twitter account, as well as publishing a book alleged to portray transgender people as villains.

The author’s actions led to many Harry Potter movie actors, including leads Emma Watson and Eddie Redmayne, to publicly voice their support for the transgender community.

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Addressing Hogwarts Legacy’s relationship with the author and her comments, WB Games president David Haddad reportedly said in a company Q&A (via Jason Schreier) that Rowling “has the right to hold her opinions.”

He said: “I’d like to echo something you’ve heard from our most senior executive leadership. While J.K. Rowling is the creator of Harry Potter, and we are bringing that to life with the power of Portkey, in many places, she’s a private citizen also.

“And that means she’s entitled to express her personal opinion on social media,” the exec added. “I may not agree with her, and I might not agree with her stance on a range of topics, but I can agree that she has the right to hold her opinions.”

Later in the Q&A, Haddad reportedly answered questions about diversity and inclusion within WB Games, and claimed he was working with LGBTQ rights orgs including GLAAD.

Warner Bros. Games previously distanced itself from the Harry Potter author, writing in an official game FAQ that J.K. Rowling was “not directly involved” in the creation of Hogwarts Legacy.

Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the movies, recently published an open letter via LGBTQ non-profit The Trevor Project in support of transgender people, following JK Rowling’s Twitter comments.

“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either [J.K. Rowling] or I,” Radcliffe wrote.

further reading

J.K. Rowling is ‘not directly involved’ in the new Harry Potter video game

Warner clarifies Hogwarts Legacy is "not a new story" from the author

Warner Bros. Interactive announced Hogwarts Legacy, its next-gen adventure game based on the Harry Potter series, last month.

Developed by Avalanche Software (Disney Infinity), the title is described as an open-world RPG that takes players beyond Hogwarts to new and familiar locations, as they “live the unwritten and embark on a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world.”

Published by Warner under the Portkey Games label, Hogwarts Legacy will release in 2021 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One consoles, and PC.