Keira Knightley apologises as she admits she wasn’t aware of Harry Potter boycott over JK Rowling’s trans views after being cast as Dolores Umbridge in audiobook

by

Okay, so this just came to my attention, and I wanted to share – Keira Knightley recently explained she didn’t realize there was a call to boycott the Harry Potter audiobooks before she signed on to narrate. She’s apologized for not being aware, and it’s a good reminder that sometimes, even with all the information out there, things can slip through the cracks. It’s a tricky situation, and I think her acknowledging it was the right move.

The 40-year-old actress will be the voice of Dolores Umbridge in the new audio editions of Harry Potter. These audiobooks are a project between Audible and Pottermore Publishing, which is owned by author J.K. Rowling, who has faced controversy.

Following the news, many fans expressed their disapproval of Keira’s support for the author, who has been widely criticised in recent years for her views on gender, including by actors from the Harry Potter series.

The author claims she is not transphobic, but she previously stated she’d willingly go to jail for using the wrong pronouns for a transgender person. She is now using proceeds from the new Harry Potter TV series to support groups working to limit transgender rights.

Keira recently shared that she didn’t realize people were boycotting JK Rowling’s work to support the trans community.

‘I was not aware of that, no. I’m very sorry,’ she told Decider when asked about the boycott. 

It seems like we’re at a point in history where learning to coexist is going to be a major challenge for everyone.

‘And we’ve all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.’ 

Imelda Staunton famously played Dolores Umbridge in two of the Harry Potter films, and the character has become notorious in the wizarding world. Horror writer Stephen King even called her one of the most terrifying fictional villains since Hannibal Lecter.

Imelda Staunton first portrayed Professor Umbridge, a character from the 2003 book *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, in the 2007 film adaptation and again in *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1* in 2010.

The Harry Potter series began with *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*, published in 1997, and concluded in 2007 with *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*.

The popular movie series starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint consisted of eight films. Now, the story – about the famous ‘Boy Who Lived’ – will be reimagined as a new HBO series expected to premiere in 2027.

Earlier this year, new full-cast audiobooks of the Harry Potter series were announced, featuring a star-studded cast of readers.

The original audiobooks were voiced by acting great Stephen Fry.

Stephen has publicly distanced himself from the author, claiming she’s making fun of LGBT+ individuals and reaffirming his support for the trans community.

The comedian and TV host, formerly of QI, shared that he often had dinner with the author and found her opinions on transgender people to be unusual.

During a June podcast appearance on The Show People, Stephen expressed concern that someone had been influenced by extreme views, possibly from both trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) and the intense negativity directed towards them.

Trying to confront her directly isn’t working and is actually making her more defensive, and I worry that will continue. I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t address her when she says hurtful or inappropriate things, but it feels like she’s beyond our help at this point.

I’ve observed this happen before – someone expressing themselves authentically can unfortunately trigger really negative reactions from others. In this case, she began sharing her thoughts, and it seemed to really ignite some deeply rooted, harmful transphobic beliefs in people around her. It’s been incredibly damaging, and honestly, heartbreaking to witness.

I strongly disagree with her stance on this issue. I’m frustrated that she hasn’t condemned some of the deeply offensive and harmful statements people are making. She doesn’t challenge those who say them at all.

Her words are hurtful and disrespectful, and they contribute to the already difficult experiences of transgender people.

She publicly celebrated the passage of laws in Scotland and other places that define aspects of gender.

I’m truly upset about this, and I want to state that clearly. When dealing with tough situations, I believe getting the job done is more important than being correct.

Following criticism about Keira Knightley narrating the audiobook, some people have pointed out that she, like James McAvoy, isn’t directly collaborating with J.K. Rowling, who has faced controversy for her views.

They likely decided to focus on presenting the content clearly and making it easy for everyone to understand, including children and people with vision impairments or dyslexia.

Okay, so the deal is *mostly* with Audible, which is amazing! And honestly, everyone’s jumping to conclusions about Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, and I just don’t think it’s fair to call them transphobic. I mean, let’s not rush to judgment, okay? I’m a huge fan of both of them, and I really hope people will give them the benefit of the doubt.

They probably didn’t realize how upset the LGBTQ+ community would be about them accepting the position.

It’s amazing to think that Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Kit Harington, Simon Pegg, and so many other top British actors simply viewed this as just another interesting project.

This isn’t a huge problem, it’s simply you letting your dislike of a woman and her political beliefs get to you.

Read More

2025-10-13 11:05