JK Rowling has apologised after incorrectly accusing Donald Trump of refusing to shake hands with a disabled boy. The Harry Potter author, who has publicly criticised the president on a number of occasions, did not say sorry to the US leader, but instead addressed the mother of the child. She wrote: "Re: my tweets about the small boy in the wheelchair whose proffered hand the president appeared to ignore in press footage. Multiple sources have informed me that that was not a full or accurate representation of their interaction.
JK Rowling has apologised after accusing Donald Trump of refusing to shake a disabled boy's hand
"I very clearly projected my own sensitivities around the issue of disable people being overlooked or ignored onto the images I saw and if that caused any distress to that boy or his family, I apologise unreservedly."
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It comes after a video emerged online that appeared to show the US President refusing to shake the hand of the little boy at the White House. JK Rowling lambasted the leader in a series of lengthy tweets for "looking deliberately over a disabled child's head, ignoring his outstretched hand".
The author apologised 'unreservedly' to the boy and his family
However, additional footage shows that Mr Trump did shake the child's hand earlier in the exchange – and the boy's mother has also taken to Twitter to clarify the situation. "Ummmm...if someone can please get a message to JK Rowling: Trump didn't snub my son & Monty wasn't even trying to shake his hand," she wrote. "(1. He's 3 and hand shaking is not his thing, 2. He was showing off his newly acquired secret service patch). Thanks."