JK Rowling has been accused of violating a British anti-discrimination law by a transgender broadcaster who says the "Harry Potter" author purposely called her a man.
Transgender woman India Willoughby, an English broadcaster, claimed the well-known author committed a "hate crime" in violation of anti-discrimination legislation on March 4 when she referred to Willoughby as "a man" on social media.
(Photo : Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
During an interview with Byline TV on Wednesday night, Willoughby, a former 'Celebrity Big Brother' contestant and "Loose Women" co-host, said she had aware Northumbria Police about Rowling's repeated discrimination of her online as part of their in progress feud.
Willoughby stated that he has informed the police about JK Rowling's responses, unsure if it would be considered a hate crime or vengeful interactions, but he believes it is a clear offense.
When reached about the situation by Variety, a spokesperson from Northumbria Police 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."
JK Rowling vs. India Willoughby
Rowling has previously suggested that she had an action in court involving Willoughby for alleged libel. She pointed out on X, formerly known as Twitter on Wednesday, that a while back, legal advisors informed her of an allegedly strong case against Willoughby.
The renowned author added, "that not only did I have a clearly winnable case against India Willoughby for defamation, but that India's obsessive targeting of me over the past few years may meet the legal threshold for harassment."
Rowling claims that she was advised by lawyers that Willoughby's targeting of her over the past few years may meet the legal threshold for harassment. She ignored this advice, stating that she didn't want to give Willoughby publicity. Rowling also criticized Willoughby over a variety of issues, including alleged homophobia, racism and immigration.
She also accused Willoughby of transphobia, claiming she has forgotten the Forstater ruling, which established that gender-critical views can be protected in law. Forstater successfully brought a case to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) to establish that gender-critical views are a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010 in 2021.
In 2021, researcher Maya Forstater won a case at the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) to confirm that gender-critical views are considered a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010, Daily Mail reported.
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