Keira Knightley recently shared her thoughts on the ongoing controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling's statements on the transgender community and the subsequent fan boycott of "Harry Potter" content. Knightley, who joined the voice cast of Audible’s “Harry Potter: The Full Cast Audio Editions” as Professor Umbridge, stated in an interview with Decider that she was "not aware" of the boycott prior to her involvement. Reflecting on the broader societal landscape, Knightley commented, "You know, I think we’re all living in a period of time right now where we’re all going to have to figure out how to live together, aren’t we? And we’ve all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect."

The backlash against J.K. Rowling began in 2020 following a series of tweets and a 3,600-word essay published by the author, which many deemed transphobic. In the immediate aftermath, prominent "Harry Potter" stars, including Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint, publicly issued statements via social media, expressing their support for the transgender community. These statements highlighted a clear divergence in views between the author and some of the franchise's leading actors.

Emma Watson further elaborated on her complex relationship with Rowling during a recent appearance on "On Purpose With Jay Shetty." When questioned about Rowling's reported stance of never forgiving Watson for her views and suggesting the "Harry Potter" movies were 'ruined' because of the cast's opinions, Watson offered a nuanced perspective. She asserted, "I really don’t believe that by having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, mean that I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with." Watson emphasized her belief that one's current opinions do not necessarily negate or diminish cherished past experiences, stating, "I will never believe that one negates the other and that my experience of that person, I don’t get to keep and cherish. To come back to our earlier thing — I just don’t think these things are either or. I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with."

Following Watson's comments, J.K. Rowling took to X to respond, criticizing Watson as "ignorant" and possessing "little experience of real life." Rowling clarified her position on the relationship between creators and actors, stating, "I’m not owed eternal agreement from any actor who once played a character I created. The idea is as ludicrous as me checking with the boss I had when I was 21 for what opinions I should hold these days." Despite her critique, Rowling also acknowledged the legal protections for such beliefs, writing, "Emma Watson and her co-stars have every right to embrace gender identity ideology. Such beliefs are legally protected, and I wouldn’t want to see any of them threatened with loss of work, or violence, or death, because of them." This exchange underscores the ongoing and complex dialogue surrounding identity, respect, and differing viewpoints within the public sphere.