JK Rowling has reignited her feud with ex-Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – branding her a ‘world-class misogynist’ and the ‘blindest wife ever’.
The Harry Potter author, who also publishes novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, responded after new words were added to Ms Sturgeon’s memoir.
The pair have been at odds in the past over trans issues, with fervent ‘gender critical’ campaigner Rowling criticising the SNP’s stance.
Ms Sturgeon, in her time as First Minister, tried to pass the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill in 2023, which was voted through by MSPs.
But the bill, which would have allowed people to self-identify as opposite to their biological sex, was subsequently rejected.
Rowling wrote a critical review of Ms Sturgeon’s autobiography, Frankly, on its release last August.
She has now doubled down, replying to Ms Sturgeon’s latest update of the book as it gets a paperback edition – just weeks after the ex-First Minister’s estranged husband was jailed.
Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP earlier this year and was sentenced to more than five years in prison.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling (pictured in London in November 2018) has reignited her feud with former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
Ex-SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has updated her memoir, Frankly
The long-running Operation Branchform police investigation that snared Murrell cleared Ms Sturgeon and former party treasurer Colin Beattie.
Ms Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of her estranged husband’s wrongdoings.
In her updated foreword to the paperback edition of her memoir, Ms Sturgeon has now accused Murrell of subjecting her to ‘suspicion, humiliation and vilification’.
She also described John Swinney, Scotland’s current First Minister, as lacking ‘vision or big-picture thinking’ in an election campaign that kept the SNP in power in May – albeit with a smaller share of seats than under Ms Sturgeon in 2016 and 2021.
Rowling has now responded on X, saying: ‘I’m astonished that Sturgeon turns out to be not only a world-class misogynist, the blindest wife ever to enjoy the fruits of a fraudster husband’s theft, but also profoundly disloyal to the party and the political allies who once revered her.’
The writer, born in Yate in Gloucestershire before later living in Edinburgh, previously posed in a T-shirt mocking Ms Sturgeon.
In 2022, Rowling wore the top branding Ms Sturgeon a ‘destroyer of women’s rights’ in protest against the Scottish Government’s gender recognition reform laws, which were later blocked by the UK Government.
The move prompted Sturgeon to call for those with strong views to ‘treat each other with respect’.
In 2022, JK Rowling wore a T-shirt branding Ms Sturgeon a ‘destroyer of women’s rights’
She last year revealed her foul-mouthed ‘review’ of Nicola Sturgeon’s autobiography
Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, in 2022 – Murrell, her estranged husband, was jailed earlier this year
Former SNP leader Sturgeon has been embroiled in a public war of words with the Harry Potter author for years over their clashing views on transgender issues
Multi-millionaire author Rowling last year reacted to the initial publication of Ms Sturgeon’s memoir by posting on X a photo showing a copy of the book in which Rowling had scrawled: ‘Are you f***ing kidding me???’
She added: ‘Annotating as I read to review. Might auction my scribbled-on copy, proceeds to go to @ForWomenScot. NB: nobody who’s offended by swearing should bid.’
Ms Sturgeon has described critics of her party’s proposed gender rights reforms as ‘deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly racist as well’.
She has also said of Rowling: ‘Where does she get the time to obsess about me? I hate to tell her that it’s just not reciprocated.’
