Harry Potter studio Warner Bros says it was ‘wrong’ to block JK Rowling question at event

Warner Bros has responded after Tom Felton was blocked from asking a JK Rowling question at a Harry Potter event.

The Draco Malfoy actor was promoting a new attraction at the Warner Bros Studo Tour, when Sky News asked a question about Rowling, the author who created the wizarding world. She also produced the film series.

In a video shared by the outlet, the studio can be heard preventing journalist Claire Gregory’s question from being answered.

At the time, The Telegraph noted that Warner Bro’s response to asking why the question had been blocked was: “JK Rowling is not connected to Warner or Tom Felton. The team felt it was not relevant to the piece.”

However, a spokesperson for the Warner Bros Studio Tour has now told Sky News it was ‘wholly wrong” to prevent the question from being answered. The spokesperson said the tour is “proud” to work with Rowling, whom they called “one of the world’s most accomplished storytellers”.

The statement continued: “Warner Bros Studio Tour London regrets it happened as part of a media event that day.”

Rowling has been mired in controversy in recent years, coming under fire for her comments on trans people. She was met with a backlash in June 2020 after calling out an article’s use of the phrase “people who menstruate”.

“I’m sure there used to be a word for those people,” she wrote, adding: “Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

While there was a contingent of Twitter users who supported Rowling for her tweet, there were plenty – including numerous celebrities – who criticised her comment as “anti-trans” and “transphobic”, arguing that transgender, non-binary and non-gender conforming people can also menstruate.

Rowling has repeatedly rejected accusations that she is transphobic, and has claimed that she “knows and loves” trans people.