Image via Twitter (@jkrowling).
She’s just won Wimbledon for the sixth time and currently holds all four major grand slam titles, but it wasn’t Serena Williams ‘ talent Twitter was talking about as she held up the trophy.
As has become all too (disappointingly) common with female athletes, the conversation quickly turned from her incredible achievement to her looks. But proving she’s a real life “patronus” (Harry Potter nerds, that one’s for you), JK Rowling was having none of it. (Post continues after gallery.)
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Rowling, who was tweeting regularly during the final, saw a since-deleted tweet from user/troll @diegtristan8: “Ironic then that the main reason for her success is that she is built like a man.”
The Harry Potter creator, who earlier posted a picture of her with Williams saying she was “#TeamSerena today”, was quick to put him back in his place and address his body-shaming comment, carrying out a grand slam of her own.
Image via Twitter.
While it's saddening that talented female sportswomen continue to be reduced to their looks (A Brazilian official made headlines a few weeks ago after claiming that the growing popularity of women's soccer was down to shorter shorts and more makeup), Rowling's response had people cheering.
It's been retweeted nearly 80,000 times and favourited more than 100,000, although Williams has not commented on it - probably too busy celebrating (quite rightly).
RELATED: “I can’t stop laughing”. Chrissy Teigan’s response to body-shaming snark is all class
JK Rowling is no stranger to Twitter trolls herself, and is known for publicly addressing (and shaming) those with wit and sass when she believes they've crossed the line.
"When my personal line has been crossed... I reserve the right to call out people who swear at me," she tweeted when she was attacked after the Scottish Referendum, saying she had ignored and blocked abuse for weeks before responding.
"It isn't always fun being a famous woman on Twitter and I believe in standing up to bullies," she wrote.
And it's not just online that you can be assured Rowling will have your back.
Evanna Lynch, the actress who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, revealed that the author saved her from an eating disorder before they'd ever met or she was cast.
RELATED: Portia De Rossi has a message for eating disorder sufferers
The 23 year-old said that she wrote to Rowling when she was 11, asking for help on how to beat anorexia.
"I told her the books gave me hope, particularly Luna Lovegood. I told her how I looked up to her. She wrote back and was like a counsellor," she told The Sun in 2010.
Image via Instagram (@evannlynch)
"She told me anorexia is destructive, not creative, and the brave thing was not to succumb to it."
"I told her I'd love to be in the films and she encouraged that but said I'd need to be well to do so. In the end I think that's why I recovered," she said.
Related: 6 things only over-thinkers will understand.
And here was us thinking we couldn't admire JK Rowling even more.
Do you think JK Rowling was right to respond to the Serena Williams tweet?
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