An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a tweet published by author J.K. Rowling that reads, “If you American birds could keep your legs closed then maybe you wouldn’t need abortions in the first place.”

Verdict: False

The tweet is digitally fabricated. There’s no evidence Rowling published such a tweet.

Fact Check:

On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v. Wade, a ruling that protected the constitutional right to abortion since 1973, according to NPR. In response, more than a dozen protests were planned across the U.S. on June 27, CNN reported.

An image shared on Facebook appears to show Rowling’s response to the decision. It shows what appears to be a June 26 tweet from the author’s verified Twitter account that reads “If you American birds could keep your legs closed then maybe you wouldn’t need abortions in the first place,” the alleged tweet reads. “Utter trash person,” reads a comment from one user who shared the tweet.

The tweet is digitally fabricated. It could not be found on Rowling’s verified Twitter account or on archived versions of her account. There are likewise no credible news reports about the alleged tweet.

“The alleged tweet is not authentic and was not posted by J.K. Rowling,” a spokesperson for Rowling confirmed in an emailed statement to Check Your Fact. (RELATED: Facebook Post Claims JK Rowling Tweeted The N-Word)

Rowling has publicly voiced her support for abortion in the past. She tweeted in May that she believes “women all over the world should have access to safe, legal abortion.”

This thread is heartbreaking and terrifying. Stories like these are a huge part of the reason I believe women all over the world should have access to safe, legal abortion. https://t.co/XBwukbytwk

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 6, 2022

This is not the first time a fabricated Rowling tweet has spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a fake tweet attributed to the author in which she appeared to claim that Harry Potter character Hermoine Granger was black.