J K Rowling Breaks Silence on Allegations Involving Jeffrey Epstein
J K Rowling is pushing back against online claims linking her to Jeffrey Epstein after her name appeared in recently released government documents. The files were unsealed by the Department of Justice on February 2 and quickly spread across social media.
The situation began when people noticed an invitation included in the documents. The invite was for the 2018 Broadway opening of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It listed Rowling and producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender as hosts and was addressed to Epstein. The timing raised eyebrows because Epstein’s past convictions were already public at that point.
As images of the invitation circulated online, some users claimed it proved a personal connection between Rowling and Epstein. Rowling responded directly on X, making it clear she rejected that idea. She said she never had any contact with Epstein and stated that neither she nor anyone representing her had ever met him, spoken to him, or personally invited him to any event.
This is beyond silly. Neither I, nor anybody on my team, ever met, communicated with or invited Jeffrey Epstein to anything. https://t.co/JXhFlBQxsM
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) February 2, 2026
The unsealed files also included a separate message sent to Epstein by an unknown person. In that message, the sender asked Epstein for help arranging a meeting with Rowling, suggesting he had access to powerful people across many industries. There is no evidence in the documents that any meeting ever happened or that Rowling even knew about the request.
Legal experts have pointed out that appearing in Epstein-related files does not automatically mean someone had a relationship with him or did anything wrong. In theater and entertainment circles, opening night invitations are often handled by publicists or production offices.
These invites can be sent widely to well-known figures without direct involvement from the hosts themselves. Rowling’s team has said that if Epstein received an invitation, it was likely due to a large mailing list and not a personal decision by the author.
As of February, Rowling remains busy with major projects tied to the Harry Potter franchise. Production is underway on the upcoming Harry Potter television series for HBO and Max, which is expected to premiere in early 2027. Rowling is serving as an executive producer and has been working closely with showrunner Francesca Gardiner on the adaptation.
The series has already drawn attention for its casting choices. John Lithgow has been cast as Albus Dumbledore, while Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape. Janet McTeer will appear as Professor McGonagall, and Nick Frost will take on the role of Hagrid. The young trio will be played by newcomers Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger.
Outside of television, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continues to run successfully on stage. The Broadway production recently announced that Tom Felton will return to the wizarding world this fall, playing the adult Draco Malfoy through May.
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