J.K. Rowling has finally spoken out about the decision to cast Johnny Depp as Grindelwald in the âHarry Potterâ spin-off series, âFantastic Beastsâ.
The author has previously come under fire for her silence on the topic, particularly as she regularly uses her Twitter page to speak out over feminist issues.
Many fans of the wizarding series having been critical of the decision to cast Depp, following negative headlines surrounding his personal life in the past two years.
Finally addressing the matter on her website, the author has said that despite fansâ concerns, she feels âgenuinely happyâ to have Depp on board.
She explained in a statement: âWhen Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought heâd be wonderful in the role.
The author continued: ââHarry Potterâ fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role.
Alluding to Deppâs relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard, which ended in a much-publicised court battle and allegations of domestic abuse, Rowling concluded: âThe agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected.
Since then, a statement issued to HuffPost UK from Warner Bros added: âWe are of course aware of reports that surfaced around the end of Johnny Deppâs marriage, and take seriously the complexity of the issues involved.
âThis matter has been jointly addressed by both parties, in a statement in which they said âthere was never any intent of physical or emotional harmâ.
âBased on the circumstances and the information available to us, we, along with the filmmakers, continue to support the decision to proceed with Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald in this and future films.â
Last month, âFantastic Beastsâ director David Yates faced criticism when he spoke out in defence of Depp, dismissing the accusations of domestic violence against the star as his ex-wife âtaking a popâ.
These allegations were first made by Amber Heard in May 2016, when she sought a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband. The coupleâs divorce was settled outside of court.
While this meant many details of the split remained private, some pieces of evidence leaked to the press, including a video of Depp drinking and appearing to throw a bottle in his kitchen.
A photograph of a mirror, stained with the name of a man Depp thought his wife was having an affair with, was also published online.
In a joint statement, the couple labelled their marriage âat times volatile, but always bound by loveâ. Heard then donated her entire ÂŁ7 million settlement to charity, giving half to an organisation that works to prevent domestic violence.