JK Rowling condemns Lilly Wachowski’s ‘clearly fabricated’ claim she’s ‘funding trans genocide’
JK Rowling (L) has denied Lilly Wachowskit’s claim she is “funding trans genocide”. (Getty)
A representative for JK Rowling has refuted claims by filmmaker Lilly Wachowski that she is a “Nazi” who is “funding trans genocide”, condemning them as “outrageous” and “clearly fabricated and based on no evidence”.
The Harry Potter author’s agent, Neil Blair, told Entertainment Weekly that Wachowski’s statement was “not based on any evidence” and that Rowling “does not support legal actions aimed at harming transgender people or efforts to limit trans rights”.
In a statement Blair said: “Freedom of speech is a principle we should all cherish. What matters is that JK Rowling’s views, as with anyone else’s, are represented accurately, fairly and respectfully and that individual opinion does not detract from those views,” Blair said.
“To correct Lilly Wachowski, through The JK Rowling Women’s Fund, JK Rowling supports women taking legal action in the UK to preserve their existing rights under the Equality Act 2010, which are often overlooked or threatened.
“She does not support legal actions aimed at harming transgender people or efforts to limit trans rights.”
Blair added: “People are free to disagree with her views but seriously defamatory allegations of this nature, even outrageously invoking the Nazi’s and the genocide that they committed, should never be presented as fact when they are clearly fabricated and not based on any evidence.”
Last year, Rowling, 61, established the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which “offers legal funding support to individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s and girls’ sex-based rights in all aspects of life including the workplace, sports and clubs, and protected single-sex spaces.”
Just last month, Rowling offered to provide funding to female NHS patients hoping to take the healthcare system to court over trans women using single-sex spaces.
In 2022, Rowling helped to create the Edinburgh-based sexual violence and rape crisis centre, Beira’s Place, which does not allow trans women to use its facilities.
The Matrix director Lilly Wachowski, 58, came out publicly as transgender in 2016, eight years after her older sister and long-time collaborator, Lana, came out as trans herself in 2008.
Lilly stated in an interview with Variety earlier this month that Rowling was a “Nazi” who is “funding trans genocide.”
The Sense8 creator said: “JK Rowling funds trans genocide, full stop. So, if you support Harry Potter, you’re supporting trans genocide.
“The money that goes into you enjoying these products, a portion of that money goes to JK Rowling and that money goes into her funding anti-trans legislation all over the world.”
Wachowski suggested that trans allies should boycott work that benefitted Rowling financially, including HBO’s upcoming TV adaptation of the Harry Potter series.
“In the same way that if you are against Elon Musk, you boycott or don’t buy Tesla; and if you’re against global warming/climate change, you try not to buy as much gas, you try to mitigate your use of these products,” she said.
“It’s simple math. So, your enjoyment of these shows, and continued support of these shows, is supporting my eradication.”
Rowling’s statements on trans issues have put her at odds with many of the stars of the original Harry Potter films, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson all reiterating their support for trans rights in recent years.
Grint came under fire from fans and trans allies last month when it was revealed that he’d be returning to his role as Ron Weasley in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which was written by Rowling.
