JK Rowling addresses furious backlash over her Dolly Parton tribute post
J.K. Rowling has hit back at critics after facing death threats over a tribute post she shared in memory of the late Dolly Parton.
On Tuesday (August 25), the country singer tragically passed away following a private battle with cancer, prompting millions of devastated fans and countless celebrities to share heartfelt memories online.
The Harry Potter author was one of hundreds, if not thousands, to honor the 9-to-5 hitmaker, but despite sharing a heartfelt message praising the late 80-year-old's legacy, trolls quickly flooded the comments.
Refusing to take the abuse lying down, the controversial author fired back at several who attempted to derail her tribute.
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Taking to X, the Brit wrote: "Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was the best contribution to child literacy ever made by a celebrity.
"Our paths crossed once, in the 90s, backstage at a talk show, and I was completely tongue-tied and starstruck. RIP Dolly. You were a complete, irreplaceable one-off."
For those that don't know, Parton was a philanthropist whose charity, the Dollywood Foundation, set up the Imagination Library - a book-gifting program that mails one free, age-appropriate book every month to children from birth until they turn five.
It was inspired by Parton’s father, who was unable to read - and the singer herself previously shared how she believed her dad was prouder of her founding the Imagination Library than he was of her career in music.
Anyway, despite the heartfelt post, critics flooded the comments to attack the 61-year-old - specifically because Parton was an LGBTQ+ ally.
Rowling herself, has become a highly controversial figure over the course of the last decade due to her outspoken views on the transgender movement.
However, one furious critic completely crossed the line, writing: "It should have been you."
In response, Rowling shared the comment with her followers, penning: "Top tips for wishing death on people in public, @b4byfirefly. Blocking the target is useless if you've signposted your real name and university in your bio."
Rowling also addressed several other nasty replies, including one person who aggressively called her a 'f**ing monster' while claiming the two famous women had nothing in common.
Rowling replied: "Well, joke's on you, because neither of us want Jolene to take our man."
When another user bizarrely tried suggesting the country star was a Donald Trump supporter.
"Oh, do f*** off," Rowling blasted. "At a conservative estimate, Dolly Parton was 100,000x the person you are."
Her vocal anti-trans stance has previously sparked massive feuds with Harry Potter stars like Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, who both publicly distanced themselves from her.
Despite the bitter clashes, Rowling joined the likes of Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in honoring Parton - whose death was confirmed via her nephew in an Instagram video on Tuesday.
"My name is Bryan Seaver, son of Cassie Parton," he said in the heartbreaking video statement.
"I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean.
"This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality."
Topics: JK Rowling, Dolly Parton, Social Media, Twitter, Entertainment
Joe Yates