Author J.K. Rowling, best known for penning the “Harry Potter” series, is in contact with authorities after receiving a death threat on Twitter following her public support of novelist Salman Rushdie.
Rushdie was the victim of a stabbing attack Friday as he was preparing to give a speech in western New York. In the aftermath, Rowling tweeted that it was “Horrifying news” and that she was “Feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok.” A Twitter user going by the name Meer Asif Aziz — whose bio described him as “student, social activist, political activist and research activist” — replied “Don’t worry you are next.”
A separate post from Aziz described suspect Hadi Matar, who was arrested for the attack, as a “revolutionary Shia fighter.”
Rowling took a screenshot of Aziz’s threat and reached out to @TwitterSupport to alert them.
Later, she posted on update on the same thread, writing: “To all sending supportive messages: thank you. Police are involved (were already involved on other threats).”
Rowling has previously been targeted by trans activists for her controversial public comments on gender.
Warner Bros. Discovery, home of the Wizarding World property Rowling created, released the following statement in response to the threat against her: “Warner Bros. Discovery strongly condemns the threats made against JK Rowling. We stand with her and all the authors, storytellers and creators who bravely express their creativity and opinions. WBD believes in freedom of expression, peaceful discourse and supporting those who offer their views in the public arena. Our thoughts are with Sir Salman Rushdie and his family following the senseless act of violence in New York. The company strongly condemns any form of threat, violence or intimidation when opinions, beliefs and thoughts might differ.”
Rushdie suffered nerve damage to his arm, harm to his liver and may lose the sight in one eye after being stabbed up to 15 times. He was forced into hiding following the publication of his 1998 novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims believe contains blasphemous messages. He has been living in the United States since 2000.