There remains little more than a week until the release of 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' and the Potterhead community could not be more exciting, impatient, and full of anticipation. However, for the creator of the magical saga, the situation has been quite different; Grindelwald's crimes are not the only ones on J.K. Rowling's mind right now, as she launches a legal campaign against her former assistant, Amanda Donaldson. According to the BBC, the British author plans to sue £24,000 for various financial crimes, including having stolen official 'Harry Potter' memorabilia worth hundreds of pounds.
However, even worse is the fact that the 'Harry Potter' artifacts reside in completely innocent hands as Donaldson allegedly sent the memorabilia to fans. Rowling claims that Donaldson, who worked for Rowling from February 2014 until April 2017, not only has stolen from her, but also from the entire fanbase of the wizarding world.
Straight to Azkaban
Added to the list of accusations are other financial crimes which total to thousands of pounds worth of damage. Among these highlighted crimes, Donaldson has been accused of abusing a company credit card, buying personal gifts such as make-up, Starbucks, Jo Malone candles, clothes, and two cats which alone cost over £1000 (and everyone knows that it is better to adopt). According to Rowling, Donaldson also withdrew, without permission, a total of £7000 from her personal safe.
In an official communication, Rowling's legal representative stated: "I can confirm JK Rowling has taken legal action against her former personal assistant, Amanda Donaldson, following her dismissal for gross misconduct involving a substantial breach of trust."
Amanda Donaldson, who is no longer the author's assistant, has denied all claims, saying that Rowling has "not suffered any loss and is not entitled to damages."
In seems that this battle may continue for a while. Luckily, fans of the magical saga can distract themselves from the drama with the release of the new 'Fantastic Beasts' film, starring Eddie Redmayne, which comes to cinemas worldwide on the 16th November next week.
