Following the attack on author Salman Rushdie, Harry Potter author J.K Rowling expressed her support and best wishes for him on social media. The controversial author herself subsequently faced death threats, which she has since reported to police.On Twitter, Rowling wrote of the attack on Rushdie, "Horrifying News... Feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok." In a response, one Twitter user wrote, "Don't worry you are next." The author reached out to Twitter for support and later confirmed police are now involved in the situation.
Shortly after the tweet came to light, Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns the commercial rights to Harry Potter and Wizarding World properties, stated its support for Rowling. Per Variety, the company said, "Warner Bros. Discovery strongly condemns the threats made against J.K. Rowling. We stand with her and all the authors, storytellers and creators who bravely express their creativity and opinions. WBD believes in freedom of expression, peaceful discourse and supporting those who offer their views in the public arena. Our thoughts are with Sir Salman Rushdie and his family following the senseless act of violence in New York. The company strongly condemns any form of threat, violence or intimidation when opinions, beliefs and thoughts might differ."
The Attack on Salman Rushdie
Rushdie was recently attacked while attending an event in New York. According to the BBC, an assailant allegedly stabbed Rushdie over 10 times in the face, neck and abdomen. The suspect is currently being held without bail. At the time of writing, Rushdie is in critical condition, though his relatives report he remains in good spirits. His agent, Andrew Wylie recently stated the author has suffered damage to his nerves and liver and is likely to lose an eye.
Rushdie has been the victim of numerous death threats since the publication of his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses. The novel was met with immense backlash from the Islamic community, accusing Rushdie of blasphemy or of perpetuating anti-Islamic notions in Western literature. On top of death threats, the novel has led to several assassination attempts, forcing the author to go into hiding.
Rowling, meanwhile, has become a controversial figure herself in the years since the release of the Harry Potter novels. This is largely due to her stance and views on transgender rights, which many have described as transphobic. Her comments on the subject have been met with backlash from several major figures, including the cast of the Harry Potter films, though some have spoken up in defense of the author.