J.K. Rowling took to her website Thursday to defend the decision not to recast Johnny Depp as Grindewald in the upcoming "Fantastic Beasts" sequel amid allegations of domestic abuse from Amber Heard during their divorce.
Rowling wrote that she had not been able to address the allegations because she had to respect “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.”
The "Harry Potter" author admitted she and others involved in the franchise had been “deeply concerned” with the allegations as Depp’s cameo in the first movie was filmed. As time went on, however, their concerns were apparently satisfied in some way that isn’t able to be made public.
Without being able to give specifics, Rowling said she and others, including director David Yates, were comfortable with having Depp continue to play the villain Grindewald in the upcoming “The Crimes of Grindewald.”
“I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role,” Rowling wrote. “However, conscience isn’t governable by committee. Within the fictional world and outside it, we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing.”
Warner Bros. also defended Depp’s casting for the role, saying in a statement, “This matter has been jointly addressed by both parties, in a statement in which they said ‘there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.’”
Yates previously told Entertainment Weekly his experience was that Depp was “full of decency and kindness.”
Rowling's statement continued to get lots of backlash on social media.
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