15 Times JK Rowling Was Boss AF On Twitter
Joanne "Jo" Rowling is the woman who gave the gift of Harry Potter to the world. The author, screenwriter and film producer had sold more than 450 million copies of the series worldwide making it the best-selling book series in history. On her website she wrote, "As soon as I knew what writers were, I wanted to be one. I've got the perfect temperament for a writer; perfectly happy alone in a room, making things up."
When Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published in 1997, it was almost ten years before Twitter existed - a time when 'online trolls' simply didn't exist. Nowadays it's almost compulsory for celebrities to have an account so they can keep their fans updated with the latest news. Rowling herself has almost 10 million followers - and unfortunately her fair share of haters.
On a good day she has tweeted some truly hilarious moments and heart-warming exchanges between herself and fans. But now, during the current Trump-era, she is waging a war against the haters and it's quite clear she is not afraid of coming across as too harsh.
15 When A Fan Said They Would Burn Her Books
JK Rowling has been very vocal with her own opinion of President Trump - she hates the man and everything he stands for. Her outspoken views have upset some of her pro-Trump fans and they called for not just a boycott of her books, but encouraged readers to start burning their Harry Potter collections.
Rowling had been sharing articles opposing the 'Muslim ban' in the U.S. and one fan tweet against a Yahoo article she shared. The fan warned Rowling that they would now burn her books and movies, but this didn't seem to phase the author. Instead she replied with, "Well, the fumes from the DVDs might be toxic and I've still got your money, so by all means borrow my lighter." Proving she is laughing all the way to the bank.
14 When She Burned This Female Fan
Another pro-Trump fan also expressed her views in a rant that proved she couldn't handle her favorite author's strong political views. They tweeted that after 17 years of being an avid Harry Potter reader it was time to burn all the books. They tweeted, "You embarrassed me, you disgusted me, and I will never read your work again."
Rowling was not going to take the insults lying down and she tweeted a brutal comeback that read, "Guess it's true what they say: you can lead a girl to books about the rise and fall of an autocrat, but you still can't make her think." An autocrat being someone who has absolute power, she is likely not pleased that her so-called fans can't see evil when it's right in front of their faces.
13 When She Stood Up For Serena Williams
Body-shaming trolls are everywhere on Twitter but they really messed with the wrong woman this time. Two years ago, following Serena Williams' sixth Wimbledon win, Rowling tweeted the tennis superstar her congratulations. She wrote, "#SerenaSlam! I love her. What an athlete, what a role model, what a woman!' A fan foolishly tweeted back, "Ironic then that main reason for her success is that she is built like a man."
On top form, Rowling then fired back with a picture of Williams in a figure hugging red dress and Christian Louboutin heels - looking of course simply stunning. She wrote as the caption, "'She is built like a man'. Yeah, my husband looks just like this in a dress. You're an idiot." Her epic response was retweeted more than 60,000 times and feminists everywhere rejoiced.
12 When She Stood Up Against Homophobia
When Rowling isn't battling blatant sexism on the internet, it's homophobia she stands up against. The Westboro Baptist Church, well known for hate speeches against the LGBT community, felt the wrath of Rowling. The WBC tweeted the author claiming they would “picket” a (completely fictional) wedding between Gandalf and Dumbledore on the Emerald Isle, North Carolina.
She replied, "Alas, the sheer awesomeness of such a union in such a place would blow your tiny bigoted minds out of your thick sloping skulls." Making it very clear that really only an idiot would become so enraged over an imaginary wedding. Rowling has always celebrated the gay community, when same sex marriage was made legal in Scotland she retweeted a meme that read, "If Harry Potter taught us anything, it's that no one should live in a closet."
11 When She Told Someone To Get Help From A 'Fluent Reader'
When Rowling tweeted Mike Pence a quote from the bible which read, "'For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?' Matthew 16:26" once again she was attacked by fans for her forthright opinion. She followed with another tweet labelling Pence a dictator.
One Twitter user summed her up as, "A grown a** woman whose entire career is based on stories about a nerd who turns people into frogs. Stay out of it." Rowling clapped back, "In - Free - Countries - Anyone - Can - Talk - About - Politics. Try sounding out the syllables aloud, or ask a fluent reader for help." Her books have been praised for the politics of the Harry Potter universe including criticism of racism and anti-government sentiments - so a bit more than just turning people into frogs.
10 When She Became Super Sassy
Nothing beats a woman with a sense of humor and Rowling has her fair share of funny bones - although her comedy style is to be very dry. In 2015, she showed her compassion for the refugee crisis that was taking place. She tweeted, "If you can't imagine yourself in one of these boats, you have something missing. They are dying for a life worth living. #refugeeswelcome."
Although her tweet rubbed up one twitter user the wrong way and they tweeted, "Said the millionaire on her gold iphone in her mansion." Rowling hit back with class and sarcasm as she tweeted her reply, "I'd type a longer retort, but these diamond buttons really hurt my fingers." She might be a billionaire who started from nothing, but at least she's still grounded.
9 And Again…
Rowling has more sassiness than Harry Potter and Professor Snape combined - besides where do people think their quick wit came from? When one user decided to go out of their way to let one of the world's most famous authors know they had never read her books - she sarcastically replied, "So this is what it feels like when life suddenly loses all meaning."
Rowling really has nothing to worry about, the Harry Potter franchise is worth a staggering $15 billion. There are 450 million copies of Harry Potter in print worldwide and the final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold 11 million copies on its first day of release alone. The Harry Potter movies also grossed more than 7 billion worldwide - so the occasional Twitter troll can't hold her down.
8 When She Corrected This Troll
One Twitter troll suggested that Rowling had grew up "on the Queen's dime" referencing her time spent on welfare and benefits as a single mother. During a speech she gave at Harvard University, she revealed, "I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless… By every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew."
She added, "I have not forgotten what it feels like to worry whether you'll have enough money to pay the bills." Which is why she laughed in the face of this troll her made her life sound as if she grew up "in the palace kitchen, polishing corgis." Her hard work and determination paid off as Rowling is now richer than the Queen.
7 When She Had This Perfect Response
There are many memorable quotes Rowling has blessed us with over the years. The wise one once said, "It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" and "We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already." But now we are blessed with the twittersphere were overjoyed when she wrote, "They see me Rowlin' They hatin'."
She quoted the Chamillionaire lyrics when she was called out by one Twitter user for having "obscene wealth." The rapper himself, real name Hakeem Seriki, even joined in on the action when he replied, "I was gonna remix your tweet to 'We see them trollin' but you already took home the Grammy. Touché." Fans were delighted the two were conversing together and they wrote, "Did JK Rowling and Chamillionaire just become best friends? What a time to be alive."
6 When She Put This Comedian In His Proper Place
British comedian Ross Noble posted the following throwback snap showing off his bleach blonde locks he had to joke at the Slytherin resemblance. He tweeted, "A friend of mine sent me this photo of when I was in Slytherin house at Hogwarts." Rowling fired back, "Classic case of a Hufflepuff trying to be edgy. Be who you really are, Ross."
As if we needed any other excuse to follow the author, her witty exchanges with other celebs are the best highlights on Twitter. She is still close friends with many of the cast members, including Emma Watson who she regularly tweets to show her support. When Watson tweeted, "I am going to fight even harder for all the things I believe in" she received a reply from Rowling that read, "I love you." A tweet we can only dream of.
5 When She Told Neville Longbottom To Put Some Clothes On
Harry Potter star, Matthew Lewis, who played the role of Neville Longbottom, has certainly shook up his image after he posed without a shirt for the cover of Attitude magazine. The shoot, which also saw him pose in underwear, caught the eye of many but also Rowling had her own comments to share. She told the young actor, "I will always support you whatever you want to do, Matthew. Now go put some clothes on."
Rowling also added, "Not as bad as watching Dan in Equus, but close. Warn me next time, for God's sake.' She was referring to Daniel Radcliffe's performance in the play that required him to be fully nude aged only 17-years-old. Radcliffe told Playboy magazine, "I have a lot of respect for myself for having the balls to do it, so to speak."
4 When She Put This Lady In Her Place
One Twitter user picking the wrong subject to joke around with. Rowling backed a petition, alongside many other actors, musicians and famous figures, which had more than 100,000 signatures urging the Government to welcome its share of refugees. More than 2,500 refugees from Syria, Eritrea and Afghanistan, lost their lives attempting to cross the Mediterranean to safety.
When Rowling was sent a tweet that joked about the crisis and she fired back with, "Lady, if you think the deaths of vulnerable African women are a suitable subject for a p***y joke, you'd better hope there's no hell." Rowling herself has donated around 10% of her personal net worth to charity with more than $160 million divided between Comic Relief, The Maggie's Centres for Cancer Care, Doctors Without Borders, and many more.
3 When She Had This Brutal Reply
Rowling's most recent spat with a fan came just days after Trump announced his immigration ban. Rowling quoted former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill on her twitter, writing, "You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." She was also vocal in encouraging those who wished to march to get out there and do it.
An unhappy user known as 'Frogulus Pepe' tweeted back, "Quote very fitting to @realDonaldTrump. He stands up for something very very good and you are his enemy Mrs S****y Writer." Not one to take such an insult without throwing something back, Rowling tweeted, "*sighs* Well, who knows? If I try harder, I might be reincarnated as a lonely virgin hiding behind a cartoon frog." It was the best takedown we've seen since Harry turned Draco into a bouncing ferret.
2 When She Fired Back At This Chihuahua
In reply to her above tweet labeling the frog troll a 'virgin' another user attacked her by tweeting, "Says the old w***e and all her followers who hide behind a fictional dweeb a** child." Rowling, who was certainly on top form that evening, fired back, "Unless you're actually a hooded chihuahua (clearly mocking the user's profile picture), I'm pretty sure I win on the 'not hiding' front. I quite like 'old w***e', though #Shakespearean."
She later ended the feuding online as she tweeted, "I'd just like to thank everyone sending me lovely messages, which greatly outnumber the bad ones. I'm now off to produce more kindling… " Either she really was making some firewood for a cosy night in, or this an extra jab at the fans who were on the "book burning" wagon.
1 When She Destroyed This Troll
Her ultimate comeback was when Twitter user fiercely attacked her with a tweet, she fought back, "The internet doesn't just offer opportunities for misogynistic abuse, you know. Penis enlargers can also be bought discreetly." The tweet from 2015 was around a time when female celebrities were standing up against misogynistic trolls online.
Just a week before this exchange, actress Ashley Judd revealed she had received graphic threats over Twitter and criticized the founders of the social media website for its "inadequate" response. In 2016, Ghostbusters actress and comedian Leslie Jones suffered years of sexist and racist abuse at the hands of trolls despite "this type of abuse is not permitted on Twitter." Rowling, who has had a lot of hate over the years, is finally putting their foot down and nobody is safe from her harsh comebacks.