Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling is still very much in a partnership with Warner Bros., despite recent reports. This week, Sky News had been speaking with Tom Felton at a London press eevnt when the actor was asked about Rowling. Before Felton could answer the question, an unnamed PR executive told the reporter to ask the next question, not allowing any comments about Rowling's controversy.

Reportedly, Sky News later asked the PR company about the situation, and they received a response claiming that Rowling is "not connected to Warner or Tom Felton," making the question "not relevant to the piece." A new statement has been released by Warner Bros. clarifying that this is false, as the studio continues to maintain its longstanding partnership with the author. Per Variety, the statement reads:

“Warner Bros. has enjoyed a creative, productive and fulfilling partnership with J.K. Rowling for the past 20 years. She is one of the world’s most accomplished storytellers, and we are proud to be the studio to bring her vision, characters and stories to life now — and for decades to come. On Monday, a statement was issued by a third-party media agency that appeared contrary to this view. The statement was wholly wrong, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London regrets it happened as part of a media event that day.”

Related: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World: Possible New Storylines

Warner Bros. Didn't Stand by Johnny Depp (But J.K. Rowling Did)

Johnny Depp as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts
Warner Bros. Pictures

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has undergone a lot of controversy in recent years for going the opposite route with Johnny Depp. Because of Depp's legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, Depp was asked to resign from his role in the Rowling-produced film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. This generated backlash as the studio did not mandate Heard be removed from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Fantastic Beasts 3 has since been released with Mads Mikkelsen taking over Depp's role, and the film fell short of box office expectations, a result that could have happened in part due to Depp's dismissal.

The studio wasn't behind Depp, but Rowling had previously defended the decision to keep Depp in the franchise despite the allegations against the actor made by Heard. In 2017, Rowling implied she couldn't say as much about the situation as she wanted to but made it clear that she was "happy" to keep Depp in the role of Grindelwald. Taking to her official website, Rowling posted a statement that read, in part:

"When Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought he’d be wonderful in the role. However, around the time of filming his cameo in the first movie, stories had appeared in the press that deeply concerned me and everyone most closely involved in the franchise. Harry Potter fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role. As David Yates, long-time Potter director, has already said, we naturally considered the possibility of recasting. I understand why some have been confused and angry about why that didn’t happen."

Rowling went on to add:

"Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies. I’ve loved writing the first two screenplays and I can’t wait for fans to see The Crimes of Grindelwald. I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role. 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."