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J.K. Rowling's defense of Johnny Depp crashes her site

The "Harry Potter" author says she is "genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies."

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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Roger Cheng
fantastic-beasts-the-crimes-of-grindelwald-cast

The cast of 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.' 

Warner Bros. Pictures

J.K. Rowling is still a fan of Johnny Depp

The author of the mega-hit " Harry Potter " franchise of books and movies posted a defense of Depp, who plays Gellert Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and the upcoming "Crimes of Grindelwald." Some fans were upset by the casting of Depp, who dealt with allegations of physical assault against ex-wife Amber Heard earlier this year. 

Rowling, however, said that based on her understanding of the situation, she was not only comfortable with Depp, but "genuinely happy" to have him in the upcoming film. She advocated respecting Depp and Heard's privacy in this matter, and said "we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing."

Her site crashed after the post went live and is still down. 

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" is set for release in November 2018.