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J.K. Rowling Defends Casting Black Actress Noma Dumezweni to Play Hermione, Calls Critics a ‘Bunch of Racists’

Back off, haters! J.K. Rowling is defending the decision to cast black actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger in the upcoming London stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The Harry Potter author, 50, addressed the criticism surrounding the casting selection in a new interview with The Observer on Sunday, June 5.

Related: PHOTOS: Harry Potter Stars: Then & Now

“With my experience of social media, I thought that idiots were going to idiot,” she told the newspaper. “But what can you say? That’s the way the world is. Noma was chosen because she was the best actress for the job.”

J.K. Rowling and Noma Dumezweni
J.K. Rowling and Noma Dumezweni

Rowling continued, “I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione ‘turned white’ — that is, lost color from her face after a shock — that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with. But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm.”

Related: PHOTOS: Harry Potter Hotties! Sexiest Witch and Wizard Transformations

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will continued the beloved wizarding world story as the official eighth installment in the series. The upcoming two-part West End play, which is scheduled to open on July 30, is set 19 years after the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The production’s script will be released in book form on July 31, one day after opening night.

When the stage play cast was originally announced last year, several Potterheads took to social media to complain that the actors don’t resemble those of the hit film series, particularly Dumezweni, who was originally played by Emma Watson.

Related: PHOTOS: Emma Watson's Style Evolution: How She's Grown Up

Rowling previously celebrated the decision to cast a black actress as Hermione on Twitter, writing in December, “Cannon: Brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione.”

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