JK Rowling explains why she won’t ‘sack’ Paapa Essiedu from Harry Potter TV show

JK Rowling has explained why Paapa Essiedu will not be fired from the upcoming TV adaptation of the Harry Potter series despite him advocating for trans rights.

From the moment Rowling was confirmed as an executive producer on the TV reboot, there has been a major backlash from the trans community and its allies.

The show will star John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost as Hagrid.

Many fans of the original films said they were planning on boycotting the new series as an act of protest against Rowling’s comments about trans people.

But, after Essiedu was announced to play Severus Snape, there were mixed feelings around the casting of the I May Destroy You star, who has previously supported LGBTQ+ rights.

In an open letter last month, Essiedu joined the likes of Bella Ramsey, Harris Dickinson and Nicola Coughlan in signing a petition calling for the entertainment industry in the UK to protect the trans community.

The statement, backed by over 2,000 signatories, declared ‘solidarity with the trans, non-binary, and intersex communities’ and preached that film and TV are ‘powerful tools for empathy and education’.