J.K. Rowling joined the many public figures paying tribute to Dolly Parton following the country music legend’s death at 80, but the “Harry Potter” author soon found herself dealing with hostile responses from critics — including one person who told her that she should have died instead.
Rowling’s original message had nothing to do with the controversy that has surrounded her views on sex and gender in recent years.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was the best contribution to child literacy ever made by a celebrity. Our paths crossed once, in the 90s, backstage at a talk show, and I was completely tongue-tied and starstruck. RIP Dolly. You were a complete, irreplaceable one-off.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 25, 2026
Instead, she praised Parton’s work promoting childhood literacy and recalled the one time their paths crossed.
“Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was the best contribution to child literacy ever made by a celebrity,” Rowling wrote.
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995, creating a program that provides free books to young children. What began in Tennessee eventually expanded far beyond the state and the United States.
Rowling, herself the author behind one of the most successful children’s book series in publishing history, also revealed that meeting Parton left her unusually lost for words.
“Our paths crossed once, in the 90s, backstage at a talk show, and I was completely tongue-tied and starstruck,” Rowling wrote.
She ended the tribute simply: “RIP Dolly. You were a complete, irreplaceable one-off.”
Top tips for wishing death on people in public, @b4byfirefly. Blocking the target is useless if you’ve signposted your real name and university in your bio😘 pic.twitter.com/fHVSTiRLJ0
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 25, 2026
For some of Rowling’s critics, however, even a tribute to Parton became another opportunity to attack the author.
Rowling has become one of the world’s most prominent participants in the debate over transgender rights and sex-based protections. She rejects the characterization of herself as “anti-trans,” while critics have repeatedly accused her of being hostile toward transgender people because of her positions on biological sex, women’s spaces and gender identity.
One response to her Parton tribute went considerably beyond arguing about those positions.
“It should have been you,” the person wrote.
Rowling spotted the message and shared a screenshot with her own followers, adding some dry advice for anyone considering publicly wishing somebody dead while leaving identifying information attached to an account.
“Top tips for wishing death on people in public,” Rowling wrote. “Blocking the target is useless if you’ve signposted your real name and university in your bio.”
That was not the only angry response.
Another X user wrote Tuesday, “You know you and Dolly have nothing to agree upon, you f–king monster.”
Rowling’s response was considerably lighter.
Bluesky weighs in on Dolly Parton’s death, taking the opportunity to attack JK Rowling. pic.twitter.com/XE6qLtXLwr
— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) August 25, 2026
“Well, joke’s on you, because neither of us want Jolene to take our man,” she replied.
The line was an obvious reference to Parton’s 1973 classic “Jolene,” in which the narrator pleads with another woman not to take away the man she loves.
Other users similarly objected to Rowling offering praise for Parton, turning what had begun as a straightforward remembrance into another round of the long-running online battle surrounding the British author.
Rowling did not use her tribute to discuss transgender issues or attempt to enlist Parton in that debate. Her comments focused specifically on Parton’s literacy work and their brief meeting decades earlier.
The hostile responses instead came from people who apparently considered Rowling’s existing views sufficient reason to object to her participation in the public mourning.
Parton died Tuesday at age 80, days after announcing that she was dealing with health problems while saying there were still things she wanted to “achieve.”
Tributes quickly arrived from across entertainment and politics.
President Donald Trump announced after Parton’s death that he had ordered American flags lowered for one week in her honor.
