JK Rowling addresses claims she was 'excluded' from Harry Potter reunion: 'I wasn't, actually'

J.K. Rowling has addressed her notable absence from the Harry Potter reunion special, denying claims she was deliberately 'excluded' from the lineup.

While numerous cast members from the movie franchise based on Rowling's series appeared in Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, the British author didn't.

Viewers speculated this had been a deliberate move in the wake of controversial anti-trans remarks Rowling had made ahead of the special, which debuted on January 1.

However, speaking to Graham Norton on Virgin Radio on Saturday, the author said this wasn't the case.

Watch the video above.

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"When they did the Harry Potter reunion and you were excluded, that must have been…" Norton began.

"I wasn't [excluded], actually ... I was asked to be on that. I decided that I didn't want to do it," Rowling, who was on the show to promote the upcoming release of her book The Ink Black Heart, interjected.

"It was about the films more than the books, quite rightly. That was what the anniversary was about," the author added in defence.

The Harry Potter reunion special featured numerous cast members, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, getting together to celebrate and reminisce on the 20th anniversary of the film franchise.

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Norton followed this interaction by asking if Rowling still had a relationship with the Harry Potter actors, citing that several had spoken out against Rowling's views.

"Yes, I do… some more than others," she responded

"Some I knew better than others."

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Rowling notoriously came under fire in June 2020 when she appeared to support anti-transgender sentiments in a series of tweets.

The author seemingly doubled down on her stance in a highly-criticised essay shared on her website days later, and has echoed it in tweets and comments since.

Radcliffe, Watson and Grint each spoke out against Rowling's bigoted remarks.