Duolingo issued an apology after a German lesson portrayed J.K. Rowling as mean. The content has since been removed.
The exercise asked learners if they liked Harry Potter books. The suggested answer criticised Rowling rather than staying neutral.
The platform explained it never intended offence and promised to keep lessons focused on language learning instead of personal opinions.
Rowling’s stance on trans rights continues to spark division, with widespread criticism voiced by fans, activists, and former Harry Potter actors.
Daniel Radcliffe shared sadness about her comments and stressed his ongoing effort to defend LGBTQ rights and equality.
Broader Reactions and Literary Tensions
Some learners objected, saying political views should not appear in study material. Producer Gaby Koppel complained publicly about the example sentence.
At the same time, Rowling clashed with Nicola Sturgeon. She mocked parts of Sturgeon’s autobiography online with derogatory annotations.
Sturgeon said Rowling had a right to differ but warned her language was provocative and damaging to constructive debate.
Separately, the Polari Prize paused its 2025 competition after outrage over John Boyne’s inclusion on the longlist.
Boyne, a bestselling author, has defended Rowling and embraced gender-critical positions that angered many in the LGBTQ literary community.
