J.K. Rowling cancels Putin after Putin's cancel culture comments

Like we said — Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling would prefer any appeals on her behalf not come from Russian President Vladimir Putin, thank you very much.

After Putin on Friday included her in a speech while complaining about how Russia is being "canceled" over its invasion of Ukraine — similar in a way, Putin claimed, to how Rowling was "canceled" for her views on gender and sex — it didn't take long for the author to reject the Russian president's comment.

"Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics," Rowling tweeted alongside an article about jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The writer also highlighted the work her children's charity Lumos is doing in Ukraine, and thanked those who had donated to the cause.

"They canceled Joanne Rowling recently, the children's author," Putin said in his speech Friday. "Her books are published all over the world. Just because she didn't satisfy the demands of gender rights."

Rowling has for years now been accused of transphobia for her numerous tweets and statements regarding sex and gender.