Jon Stewart clarifies Harry Potter comments: "I do not think J.K. Rowling is anti-Semitic. I did not accuse her of being anti-Semitic"

Variety

Stewart slammed Newsweek and other media outlets that published stories this week on his comments on The Problem with Jon Stewart podcast last month, accusing the Harry Potter franchise of using anti-Semitic tropes with its portrayal of its goblin characters. In a video posted today on his Twitter feed, Stewart pointed out the conversation was a month-old and was done in lighthearted fun. So he was shocked to see his name trending on Twitter this morning. “I do not think J.K. Rowling is anti-Semitic. I did not accuse her of being anti-Semitic,” Stewart said. “I do not think the Harry Potter movies are anti-Semitic. I really love the Harry Potter movies, probably too much for a gentleman of my considerable age.” He added: “I cannot stress this enough. I am not accusing J.K. Rowling of being antisemitic. She need not answer to any of it. I don’t want the Harry Potter movies censored in any way. It was a lighthearted conversation. Get a f*cking grip.” Stewart wasn't the first to make a connection between Harry Potter and anti-Semitism -- Pete Davidson did it in 2020 on SNL's "Weekend Update."