The author has broken her silence on a media report speculating about whether she will "sack" HBO's 'Harry Potter' star Paapa Essiedu after he signed a trans rights petition.

J.K. Rowling said in a new post on X that she does not have the power to fire Paapa Essiedu from HBO's "Harry Potter" television series, nor would she exercise such power if she had it. "I May Destroy You" Emmy nominee Essiedu is set to play Severus Snape on the show.

J.K. Rowling explains why she wouldn't fire Paapa Essiedu from the Harry Potter series despite their opposing views about the trans community.