Keira Knightley Apologises For Harry Potter Casting After Being ‘Unaware’ Of Boycott

Keira Knightley has apologised for joining the Harry Potter franchise and claimed she was ‘not aware’ there was a boycott going on over author JK Rowling’s views on transgenderism.

Knightley, 40, has been cast to voice Professor Umbridge in Audible’s seven-part audiobook adaptation of the Harry Potter franchise, with JK Rowling herself producing the project via her Pottermore Publishing company.

As soon as Knightley was announced for the role, she began receiving loads of backlash from disappointed fans who couldn’t believe that she would choose to work with Rowling after the transgender controversy. Especially as Knightley has played a couple of LGBT roles in her career.

Knightley claims she was completely oblivious to the fact that Potterheads were boycotting the franchise in solidarity with the trans community.

Knightley told Decider: ‘I was not aware of that, no. I’m very sorry.

‘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.’

Well, I’m sure there are tons of people out there who are not aware of the controversy surrounding JK Rowling and Harry Potter. Even people who are quite leftist, but just not chronically online. Keira Knightley, though? I guess it’s possible she lives in her own bubble where she won’t have heard of any of this, but surely her publicist/PR team/management company would have? In which case they 100% would have informed her of what was going on before she signed up to participate in the series.

Either way, it doesn’t look like she’s forfeiting the role so it doesn’t really make a difference. I’m not sure the notoriously unforgiving JK haters will be too happy with her apology either, given that a) she’s still taking part and b) she suggested we all find a way to get along and live together with different opinions. Different opinions! Can you imagine? What is she, some kind of transphobic Nazi?

Well anyway, the audiobook series is set to release in November, with other confirmed cast members including John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, and Katherine Parkinson.

Paapa Essiedu hasn’t been immune to the backlash either, although for another, even sadder reason entirely (I’m sure you can guess).