J. K. Rowling sues former assistant for stealing 'Harry Potter' swag
Apparently there's no spell to protect yourself from getting swindled.
J.K. Rowling was robbed by one of her former assistants, according to a recent BBC report. The Harry Potter author is now suing Amanda Donaldson for making unauthorized purchases totaling about £24,000 (or $30,000).
If true, Donaldson sounds like a real Mundungus Fletcher, having worked for the author from February 2014 until April 2017 all simultaneously stealing from her. She denies all charges.
To add insult to injury, the list of stolen items cited are incomprehensibly stupid.
In an act of literal cat burglary, she stole £1,200 to purchase two cats (**Crookshanks stink-eye**). Somehow, she also spent £1,482 on luxury candles. And please, someone explain how a single human person can throw down £1,636 on Starbucks?
I mean, at least have better taste in coffee if you're going to betray one of the most beloved celebrities on the planet.
As if all of that weren't bad enough, Donaldson allegedly stole from the Harry Potter army, too. She kept for herself valuable book memorabilia meant for fans, including a Hogwarts Express replica (£467.56), a Harry Potter Wizard Collection (£2,231.76), and a Tales of Beedle the Bard set (£395).
So this lady is clearly asking to be hexed. Because stealing from a billionaire is one thing. But robbing fans of their memories is some Azkaban-level criminality.
In a statement, Rowling's representative told the BBC that:
I can confirm J.K. Rowling has taken legal action against her former personal assistant, Amanda Donaldson, following her dismissal for gross misconduct involving a substantial breach of trust. As the case is not yet concluded we are not able to comment further and there won’t be any comment from J.K. Rowling.
The list of other stolen items doesn't help, either:
£823 at Bibi Bakery
£3,629 in cosmetic firm Molton Brown
£2,139 in card shop Paper Tiger
At least fans can rest assured that, while you might be able to steal money from J.K. Rowling, nothing can rob her of her magic.
Topics Harry Potter
Jess is an LA-based culture critic who covers intimacy in the digital age, from sex and relationship to weed and all media (tv, games, film, the web). Previously associate editor at Kill Screen, you can also find her words on Vice, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Vox, and others. She is a Brazilian-Swiss American immigrant with a love for all things weird and magical.
