JK Rowling has taken aim at Nicola Sturgeon following the former First Minister's televised interview with Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC.
During the interview, Ms Sturgeon sought to separate herself from former spouse Peter Murrell's embezzlement of more than £400,000 from the SNP (Scottish National Party), stating she would not accept blame "for the actions of the men in their lives" as many women experience.
Ms Sturgeon told the BBC she feels as though she is "serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit" in the wake of Mr Murrell's guilty plea.
The former First Minister became visibly emotional during the interview, appearing to struggle to contain tears as she discussed gifts from her former husband that were later revealed to have been bought with stolen party funds.
JK Rowling has been a public supporter of biological women's rights
| PA"I am not responsible for the crimes that my former husband committed, and I'm not going to apologise for somebody else's crimes," she told Ms Kuenssberg.
Ms Sturgeon has consistently maintained she had no knowledge of Mr Murrell's criminal activity, which took place between 2010 and 2022 and saw him use SNP members' money to purchase expensive vehicles, household goods and other items.
The couple have since separated, with Ms Sturgeon having relocated from Scotland to London following her departure from frontline politics.
In the wake of the interview, Ms Rowling seized on what she perceives as a glaring contradiction in Ms Sturgeon's defence against her estranged husband's financial crimes.
The former Scottish First Minister told the BBC that she now carries a 'degree of trauma' about the ordeal | PA/BBCThe Harry Potter author responded to the remarks by Ms Sturgeon on X, sarcastically typing: "Nicola's just decided she knows what a man and a woman are, after all."
The rather pointed remark may come as no surprise to fans of the author who are well aware of the duo's feud.
Their spat stretches back years, centred primarily on disagreements over transgender rights and the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
The legislation, which would have simplified the process for individuals to legally change their gender, passed through Holyrood but was subsequently blocked by Westminster due to concerns about its impact on UK-wide equality law.
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Nicola’s just decided she knows what a man and a woman are, after all. pic.twitter.com/erJeuyZP2Z
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 1, 2026
Ms Rowling was among the prominent critics who argued the proposed changes threatened women's safety by potentially granting biological males access to female-only spaces.
Ms Sturgeon has defended her position, maintaining that individuals should have the right to self-identify with their chosen gender, though she admitted regretting not pausing the bill to try and appease either side.
"We'd lost all sense of rationality in this debate. I'm partly responsible for that," she told ITV News.
In another instance of their mutual animosity, Ms Rowling penned a lengthy review of Ms Sturgeon's memoir published on her personal website.
JK Rowling has faced a huge backlash for her views on the trans debate | GETTYMs Rowling accused the former First Minister of being "flat out Trumpian in her shameless denial of reality and hard facts" regarding transgender issues.
The author claimed that Ms Sturgeon "caused real, lasting harm" by fostering an environment where women who disagreed with her "luxury beliefs" were "silenced, shamed, persecuted" and subjected to degrading and unsafe circumstances.
Ms Rowling also drew parallels between Ms Sturgeon's characterisation of gender reform critics as "deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist" and Hillary Clinton's infamous "basket of deplorables" remark.
Through such comments, Ms Rowling argued that Ms Sturgeon had "demonised and stigmatised" sexual trauma survivors, lesbians, disabled women and all those concerned about "safety, privacy, fairness and dignity for girls."
Peter Murrell embezzled a number of items including a £124,550 motorhome | GETTYMs Sturgeon has defended her record, insisting she acted in the nation's best interests throughout her tenure as First Minister.