Keira Knightley had no idea there was a call to boycott J.K. Rowling when she agreed to join the new star-studded cast lending their voice to the Harry Potter audiobooks.
“I was not aware of that, no,” Knightley, 40, said in an interview with Decider on Friday, October 10. “I’m very sorry.”
Fans have called for a boycott against the Harry Potter author, 60, as a result of her very public anti-trans views.
“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?” Knightley continued. “And we’ve all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.”
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Knightley joined Audible’s Harry Potter: The Full Cast Audio Editions to provide the voice of Professor Umbridge, who was played by Imelda Staunton in the film adaptations. The audiobook cast also includes Hugh Laurie, Matthew Macfadyen, Riz Ahmed, Michelle Gomez, Kit Harington and more.
Rowling’s first novel in the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, will be released on Audible first on November 4. The other books will follow in suit, with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on December 16, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on January 13, 2026, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on February 10, 2026, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on March 10, 2026, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on April 14, 2026 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on May 12, 2026.
In 2019, Rowling sparked controversy after sharing support for British researcher Maya Forstater, who was fired for making transphobic comments. The following year, she tweeted a controversial post directed at trans people.
“’People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she wrote in 2020. “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
The author then doubled down on her remarks in a lengthy essay.
“It isn’t enough for women to be trans allies,” she wrote. “Women must accept and admit that there is no material difference between trans women and themselves. But, as many women have said before me, ‘woman’ is not a costume. … The ‘inclusive’ language that calls female people ‘menstruators’ and ‘people with vulvas’ strikes many women as dehumanising and demeaning. I understand why trans activists consider this language to be appropriate and kind, but for those of us who’ve had degrading slurs spat at us by violent men, it’s not neutral, it’s hostile and alienating.”
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Many of the original Harry Potter stars spoke out against Rowling and her views, including Daniel Ratfcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Earlier this year, Watson opened up about her complicated relationship with Rowling.
“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,” Watson reflected during a September episode of the “On Purpose With Jay Shetty” podcast. “I think that’s a very, very important way for me that I need to be able to move through life.”
The actress added she would “always” be open to talking with Rowling because she believes having conversations “are really important.”