J.K. Rowling is once again making headlines. But this time it is not for her books, but for her remarks on social media. The Harry Potter author took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week to criticize Sky News for not highlighting that a convicted murderer was transgender. “I’m so sick of this s***. This is not a woman. These are NotOurCrimes,” she posted.
These comments by J.K. Rowling quickly brought her to the headlines and received divided reactions. Some agreed with her, while others called her out. Although the Harry Potter author’s views often make headlines, her personal life and marriage to Neil Murray have mostly stayed away of the spotlight. Here’s everything you must know about it.
Who is Neil Murray?
Neil Murray is a Scottish doctor. Despite being married to one of the world’s most famous authors, J.K. Rowling, he has managed to stay out of the public eye. According to The Guardian, Neil Murray and J.K. Rowling met through a mutual friend of the author’s sister. Unlike the author, who lived most of her life in public, Neil has kept his life intensively low-key. In fact, little is known about his career beyond his medical profession. Reports suggest that the couple has a 6-year age gap, with J.K. Rowling being the older of the two. Over the years, they have built a quiet family life in Edinburgh since the 1990s.
How did J.K. Rowling and Neil Murray fall in love?
Neil Murray tied the knot with J.K. Rowling in a ‘secret’ ceremony on Boxing Day in 2001. According to the same outlet, the wedding took place at the author’s mansion and was attended by just 15 close friends and family members. It included her daughter, Jessica, from her first marriage, and Neil’s sister, Lorna. Previously, the author had planned to marry while on holiday in the Galapagos Islands, but the plan was dropped after the news went viral. The ultra-private wedding was a reflection of how J.K. Rowling, who rose to immediate fame with the Harry Potter series, intended to keep her personal life private.
It is a significant reason why J.K. Rowling and Neil’s marriage has rarely been discussed in the media. The author has occasionally offered small insights into their relationship. During a 2019 appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years, she spoke about the song, Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers. The author explained that it carried a personal memory because she was playing the music while cooking something when Neil walked in. He agreed that the song reminded him of her. Together, the couple has two children, David Gordon Rowling Murray, born in 2003, and Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray, born in 2005.
What led to the end of J.K. Rowling’s first marriage to Jorge Arantes?
Before falling for Neil Murray, J.K. Rowling was married to a Portuguese journalist, Jorge Arantes. She first met him when she was working as an English teacher. However, their marriage was far from spotted. The Harry Potter author has spoken out in interviews about her she had to endure domestic abuse during that time. She even claimed that Jorge once tried to hide her Harry Potter manuscript in an attempt to stop her from leaving. Finally, the two got divorced in 1995, and J.K. Rowling later moved to Edinburgh, where she raised her daughter, Jessica, as a single mother before her novels made her a household name.
What do you think about J.K Rowling and Neil Murray’s low-key romance and over two decades of marriage? Let us know.
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