J.K. Rowling says she chose not to be a part of the Harry Potter reunion

As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, Harry Potter fans flocked to HBO Max to watch the 20th Anniversary special. It was a very, very exciting moment for any hardcore fans as the cast and crew came together to reminisce about their time together on set.

While we saw Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Daniel Radcliffe reunite, one notable person was missing: J.K. Rowling, the controversial author of the Harry Potter novel series. Over the last few years, Rowling has stirred up a lot of drama with her transphobic rhetoric. Even some of the cast members spoke against Rowling’s comments. Given the controversy, fans were not surprised when Rowling didn’t make an appearance on the Harry Potter reunion special. It was presumed that Warner Bros. simply didn’t ask her to be a part of it.

However, J.K. Rowling is now saying she chose not to be a part of it. The plot thickens…

J.K. Rowling says she said no to being on the Harry Potter reunion special

In the special, Rowling was only seen through old interview clips. In an interview with Graham Norton, Rowling said that she turned down the invitation because the reunion was more about the movies and not the books she wrote.

“I was asked to be on that, and I decided I didn’t want to do it,” said Rowling. “I thought it was about the films more than the books, quite rightly. That was what the anniversary was about. No one said ‘don’t come.’ I was asked to do it and I decided not to.”

There’s no way of knowing if Rowling is just saying this to save face or if she truly was contacted. Unless we use the Veritaserum charm on Rowling or give her the Truth potion, it’s hard to be sure.

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h/t The A.V. Club