.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,1075&ssl=1 "Nicola Coughlan Says She ‘Wouldn’t Touch’ Harry Potter Reboot After J.K. Rowling’s Reaction to UK Anti-Trans Ruling")
Nicola Coughlan will not be going to Hogwarts anytime soon. The Bridgerton star made no secret of her feelings toward series creator J.K. Rowling in a new Instagram post, sharing that she “wouldn’t touch” the new Harry Potter reboot series “with a ten-foot pole.”
Coughlan’s post was a reaction to Rowling’s longtime transphobia, most notably a recent post where Rowling is seen celebrating the U.K.’s Supreme Court ruling that trans women are not considered women under the law, and its Equality Act. In the photo, Rowling smokes a cigar onboard a yacht. “I love it when a plan comes together,” the author wrote on X, hashtagging #SupremeCourt and #WomensRights. Coughlan shared a news post from The Cut about Rowling, saying “Keep your new Harry Potter lads, wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.”
In the IG Story before that one, Coughlan shared a post from Abortion Support Network that says Rowling reportedly donated 70,000 pounds to an anti-trans crowdfunding campaign — money that could have been spent on abortion coverage to help people in need.
Coughlan is referring to the forthcoming HBO Original adaptation of Harry Potter, which has been in development for several years and is set to debut in 2026. Rowling serves as an executive producer on the series. In 2023, Casey Bloys, HBO CEO, said of her involvement, “We are in the Harry Potter business. The TV show is new and exciting, but we’ve been in the Harry Potter business for 20 years; this isn’t a new decision. We’re comfortable being in the Potter business. J.K. is a very online conversation… It’s very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into. Our priority is what’s on-screen. The Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive about love and acceptance, and that’s our priority, what’s on the screen.”
Backlash followed, and in 2024, Bloys said Rowling has “been fairly involved in the process of selecting the writer and director,” and thought “she’ll have opinions on casting.” Since then, a handful of actors have been cast in pivotal roles, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. A casting call for Harry, Ron, and Hermione is currently underway.
Rowling’s transphobic rhetoric has been a dark mark on the Harry Potter franchise for years; some of the original film stars have spoken out against her remarks and in support of trans people in recent years, including star Daniel Radcliffe.
“Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe wrote in a 2020 open letter. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I… It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”
