Warner Bros Studio Tour, a branch of parent company Warner Bros, has admitted that it was wrong to prevent a SKY News reporter asking questions about JK Rowling.
In a statement the company said that it was proud to work with the Harry Potter author. A Warner PR worker intervened when SKY’s reporter asked actor Tom Felton to comment on Rowling.
According to The Times:
Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy in the films, remained silent when the interviewer, Claire Gregory, asked why Rowling had been absent for many recent 25th anniversary celebrations of her book series.
Many cast members have distanced themselves from her comments on transgender rights and language, including the stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.
Felton, 34, was asked on camera if it felt strange for her not to be involved. Out of shot a PR official interrupted and said “next question please”.
A later statement, released by a third-party PR company, told Sky News: “JK Rowling is not connected to Warner or Tom Felton. The team felt it was not relevant to the piece.”
Felton was promoting an expansion of the studio tour in London.
Warner Bros has now disowned that statement. It said: “Warner Bros has enjoyed a creative, productive and fulfilling partnership with JK Rowling for the past 20 years.
She is one of the world’s most accomplished storytellers, and we are proud to be the studio to bring her vision, characters, and stories to life now — and for decades to come.
“On Monday, a statement was issued by a third-party media agency that appeared contrary to this view. The statement was wholly wrong, and Warner Bros Studio Tour London regrets it happened as part of a media event that day.”
Rowling, 56, argues for the primacy of sex-based rights over gender and has compared gender transition to gay conversion therapy.
