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.
© Photo: TwitterJK 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".
© Photo: TwitterThe 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."
