Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has launched a fierce attack on British authorities following the detention of comedy writer Graham Linehan at Heathrow Airport, branding the incident “totalitarian” and “utterly deplorable”.
The 57-year-old Irish writer was detained by five armed Metropolitan Police officers immediately upon disembarking an American Airlines flight from Arizona on Monday afternoon.
Mr Linehan described being escorted to a secluded area where officers informed him of his detention relating to three social media posts.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they arrested a man in his 50s at approximately 1pm on suspicion of inciting violence connected to posts on X.
Bestselling author Ms Rowling expressed her outrage on social media platform X, writing: “What the f*** has the UK become? This is totalitarianism. Utterly deplorable.”
Her intervention marks a significant moment in their relationship, coming mere weeks after Mr Linehan publicly criticised Ms Rowling for allegedly abandoning him during controversies over his gender-critical stance.
The Father Ted creator had previously claimed that Ms Rowling’s “silence” left him feeling “toxic” and isolated within the gender-critical movement, suggesting her reluctance to defend him had compounded his professional difficulties.
Following his detention at Heathrow police station, where his belongings were seized, officers became alarmed about Mr Linehan’s well-being.
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Medical staff at the hospital recorded his blood pressure exceeding 200mmHg, prompting at least eight hours of observation.
Police have imposed a single bail requirement prohibiting Mr Linehan from using X whilst he remains in the UK, with a further interview scheduled for October.
The tweets that prompted police action included inflammatory content about transgender individuals in female-designated areas.
One post from April 20 stated: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
Another tweet from April 19 featured an image from a trans rights gathering with the caption: “A photo you can smell.”
A subsequent post declared: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em.”
Mr Linehan shared these posts on his Substack blog, expressing disbelief that authorities had mobilised significant resources to detain him.
Despite their current discord, Mr Linehan acknowledged receiving unexpected support from some officers during his detention, noting that certain female officers appeared sympathetic to his situation.
He specifically referenced one officer mentioning the Sandie Peggie case, interpreting this as a sign he was “among friends, even if they couldn’t admit it.”
Conservative MP Neil O’Brien condemned the incident, declaring: “Britain is now a total laughing stock – a country where we arrest the authors of light comedies and interrogate them about their tweets.”