FACT CHECK: No, Author J.K. Rowling Did Not Walk Away From An HBO Deal Because Of Wokeness Concerns

A post made on Threads claims Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling walked away from a $150M HBO deal, citing wokeness concerns.

Verdict: False

The claim originated as satire. There is no evidence to show Rowling walked away from an HBO deal.

Fact Check:

A post made on Threads claims Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling walked away from a $150M HBO deal, citing wokeness concerns. The caption reads, “BREAKING: J.K. Rowling Walks Away from $150M Annual HBO Deal Over ‘Wokeness’ in New Harry Potter Series “Won’t Let It Ruin the Legacy!”

The claim is false. There is no credible evidence to show Rowling walked away from a deal with HBO. The claim appears to have originated as satire. (RELATED: Did Michael Jordan Reject An Offer From Disney?)

Satirical website Esspots published a story titled “J.K. Rowling Walks Away from $150M Annual HBO Deal Over ‘Wokeness’ in New Harry Potter Series “Won’t Let It Ruin the Legacy!”

The satire reads, “J.K. Rowling has reportedly walked away from a massive $150 million annual deal with HBO over creative differences regarding the upcoming Harry Potter series. According to sources, the primary reason for the split is the network’s alleged push for a more “woke” adaptation of the beloved franchise, a direction Rowling is unwilling to support.”

A disclaimer at the bottom of the satire reads, “NOTE: This is SATIRE, It’s Not True.” A disclaimer available on the Esspots website reads, “Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America.”

Esspots told Check Your Fact, “the respective post originated as Satire but it was stolen and posted without the disclaimers. The pages you mentioned stole this story from us.”

In 2024, HBO defended Rowling after fans advocated for her departure from involvement in the upcoming television show. Check Your Fact has reached out to Rowling and HBO for comment.