Transgender broadcaster reports J.K. Rowling to police over social media comments

LONDON — British police said on March 7 they had received a complaint after a transgender broadcaster reported J.K. Rowling to them over comments the Harry Potter author had made on social media.

India Willoughby, Britain's first transgender newsreader, has accused Rowling of a "hate crime" over remarks the author posted on X on March 4.

Rowling has rejected the allegation, saying it was not a crime to hold gender-critical views.

In an interview with British independent news publisher Byline Times, which was posted on X late on March 6, Willoughby, 58, said: "I contacted Northumbria constabulary. I have reported J.K. Rowling to the police for what she said.

"Calling a trans person a man, deliberately knowing that that person is a woman — and I am a woman regardless of what J.K. Rowling says."

She added: "My birth certificate says female, my passport, all my documents, I am legally recognised as a woman. For J.K. Rowling to deliberately — and that is the key word — misgender me knowing who I am, is grossly offencive."

The 58-year-old author has become a controversial figure on transgender issues and the definition of what it is to be a woman, leading to fierce criticism from some trans activists but vocal support from some women's rights campaigners.

"Some time ago, lawyers advised me that not only did I have a clearly winnable case against India Willoughby for defamation, but also that India's obsessive targeting of me over the past few years may meet the legal threshold for harassment," wrote Rowling on X.

Asked about the accusation, Northumbria Police, in Northern England, said in a statement: "On Monday, March 4, we received a complaint about a post on social media. We are currently awaiting to speak to the complainant further."

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