JK Rowling opens up about experiences of abuse and sexual assault for first time
Author has come forward with a long statement addressing controversial comments she made about transgender people
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.JK Rowling has opened up about being a survivor of abuse and sexual assault for the first time.
The author spoke out in a lengthy statement seeking to clarify comments she has made about transgender people, which have been widely criticised.
“I’ve been in the public eye now for over 20 years and have never talked publicly [about being a survivor],” she wrote on Wednesday in a post on her website.
“This isn’t because I’m ashamed those things happened to me, but because they’re traumatic to revisit and remember.”
She said she had chosen to share her experiences “out of solidarity with the huge numbers of women who have histories like mine, who’ve been slurred as bigots for having concerns around single-sex spaces”.
The author insisted she feels “solidarity and kinship” when reading about “a trans woman dying at the hands of a violent man”, and that she has a “visceral sense” of the terror these women experience.
“I believe the majority of trans-identified people not only pose zero threat to others, but are vulnerable for all the reasons I’ve outlined,” she added.
The author has been widely criticised over the past few days after a series of tweets regarding transgender people, which many felt were dismissive of transgender people’s experiences.
Many celebrities, including Daniel Radcliffe, Evanna Lynch, and Eddie Redmayne, have publicly opposed her views.