Author JK Rowling took on trans-identifying male activist India Willoughby in a brutal April Fools’ Day joke shared from her X account on Tuesday.
Rowling has long been a vocal advocate for women and for women’s-only spaces — which has often put her at odds with radical trans activists like Willoughby, who refer to her as a Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) — but she announced on Tuesday that she had recently seen the light and was making a dramatic change.
“Thrilled to announce I’ll be appearing alongside India Willoughby in an exciting new BBC documentary: ‘Why Men Make Better Women Than Women.’ India will be coaching me on where I’ve been going wrong all these years and the whole thing will be filmed inside India’s Fiat 500,” Rowling posted.
I'm frankly alarmed by the number of people who know this is an April Fool's joke, but wish it was true. ☝️
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2025
She later added a brief follow-up, saying, “I’m frankly alarmed by the number of people who know this is an April Fool’s joke, but wish it was true.”
Rowling responded to a number of the comments replying to her joke, including one who asked what lesson she. most hoped to learn from Willoughby.
“Really difficult to choose just one thing, but if you put me on the spot I’d say, how to achieve the very delicate and feminine mix of rage and resentment that appears to consume India at all times. Also contouring,” the “Harry Potter” author said.
Another suggested that they should do karaoke in the car, prompting Rowling to respond, “I’m confident our joint rendition of ‘Man, I feel Like a Woman’ will become the most popular cover song of all time.”
Rowling’s typical exchanges with Willoughby are markedly different – like one from several days earlier responding to Willoughby’s claim that there were no men taking women’s places in sports.
“.@Indiawilloughby I know facts aren’t your strong point, but your assertion that trans-identified men aren’t winning medals in the female category ‘because we’re rubbish at sport’ is bollocks in every possible sense,” Rowling said, sharing a United Nations study showing that trans-identifying men have won some 900 medals in women’s sporting competitions.
.@IndiaWilloughby I know facts aren't your strong point, but your assertion that trans-identified men aren't winning medals in the female category 'because we're rubbish at sport' is bollocks in every possible sense.https://t.co/MOWKOrksDV
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 26, 2025
