Prefer Jewish News on Google
Newspaper issues further apology over ‘Holocaust denial’ falsehood against JK Rowling
The Metro said 'the allegation was false and should never have been published' and that it 'withdrew the allegation unreservedly'
The Metro newspaper has issued a further apology for an article in which it was claimed that JK Rowling had “engaged in Holocaust denial”, saying “that allegation was false and should never have been published.”
The paper had published an article on 25 August describing changes in the cast for a new Harry Potter TV series, and talked about accusations of transphobia levelled at the best-selling author of the wizarding books. The piece then included, as a statement of fact, that Rowling had engaged in Holocaust denial. The claim was present in the online story for more than 18 hours, until, after it began to be widely noted on social media, the article was updated to remove the reference.
Later on 26 August, the publication removed the bylines of the two reporters who had been credited for the piece and added a paragraph at the top which stated that “An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that JK Rowling had been ‘engaged in Holocaust denial’. This follows claims in March 2024 when Ms Rowling was accused on X of denying aspects of the Holocaust, an allegation which she strenuously denied. The allegation has been removed and Metro apologises for the error.”
However, on Friday The Metro published a separate, further apology, which could be accessed via the home page of its website. It read: “On 25 August we published an article which stated that JK Rowling had ‘engaged in Holocaust denial’. That allegation was false and should never have been published. Ms Rowling is not a Holocaust denier and has never engaged in Holocaust denial. We withdraw the allegation unreservedly and apologise sincerely to Ms Rowling for this regrettable error.”
In 2024, Rowling responded to claims on Twitter regarding the treatment of transgender people by the Nazis; subsequently, an employee of the far-left Novara Media site responded by accused Rowling of Holocaust denial. That employee later made a public apology, describing her allegation as “false and offensive”. Subsequently, however, hundred of anonymous social media accounts hostile to Rowling repeated the accusation.
In comments at the time directly addressing the falsehood, Rowling said:
“While I’m used to the gross distraction techniques used by the more extreme faction of trans activism, the claim that I am a Holocaust denier is baseless and disgusting,” Rowling said.
“I have always been a staunch supporter of the Jewish community and have spoken out consistently and repeatedly against antisemitism.”
She went on to say that: “I’m familiar with such activists’ assertions that transgender people have been uniquely persecuted and oppressed throughout history, but claims that trans people were ‘the first targets’ of the Nazis – a claim I refuted on X, and which led to these accusations – and that I ‘uphold [Nazi] ideology around gender’ is a new low.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
