J.K. Rowling is not moving to Moscow
According to online posts, J.K. Rowling has sold her mansion in the UK and is moving to Russia because of its “traditional values”. But Full Fact could find no evidence this is true and a spokesperson for the author said the claim is false.
An image being shared on social media features a photo of the author—who is most famous for the Harry Potter series—with text saying: “I got [sic] the right to be normal: J. K. Rowling bought real estate in Moscow”.
The earliest example of the claim Full Fact found in English was shared on 19 April by an X (formerly Twitter) account.
The posts also have a caption which quotes Ms Rowling as saying: “Russia is the last state where I can call a spade a spade with impunity. Here I am, a woman, not a human with a vagina, as they believe in Britain”. It goes on to say she chose Russia because of its “traditional values, which she, like all normal people, adheres to”.
However, a spokesperson for Ms Rowling told Full Fact that the claims she has sold her property in the UK or bought a home in Russia are “completely false” and that she did not make any such comment about the country. Full Fact could not find any evidence Ms Rowling is moving to Moscow or that she made these remarks.
In 2022, President Putin compared the West’s treatment of Russia to the backlash against Ms Rowling’s gender-critical views. Apparently in response, Ms Rowling posted on X the hashtag #IStandWithUkraine, adding: “Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics.”
Ms Rowling’s statements about sex and gender, particularly relating to transgender people, have proved controversial.
We’ve previously written about another inaccurate claim that the Guardian deactivated its 2021 “Person of the Year” poll after J.K. Rowling took the lead. It’s important to consider whether information you see online comes from reliable sources before sharing it.
