JK Rowling Is Suing Her Former Assistant For Allegedly Blowing Money On Body Wash And Cats
According to BBC News, JK Rowling has recently filed a lawsuit against her former personal assistant Amanda Donaldson. JK alleges that Amanda performed some magical financial trickery and made a whole lot of money disappear.
According to the lawsuit, 35-year-old Amanda worked as 53-year-old JK’s personal assistant from February 2014 to April 2017. During that time, Amanda was reportedly given access to a business credit card, a safe containing foreign currency, and Harry Potter memorabilia. But Amanda allegedly used her access to scam through JK’s credit, money, and memorabilia to the tune of £23,696.32, or a little over $31,000.
JK gave Amanda a credit card with the intention of making business-related purchases, and she was required to submit all receipts to accounting, so that they could make sure she was spending appropriately. But in February 2017, accounting noticed that Amanda had been using the card to buy stuff that had no relation to JK. Here is a sample platter of items Amanda allegedly bought on JK’s credit card:
$1,078 at a bakery
$1,942 on Jo Malone candles
$4,755 on body wash and soap at Molton Brown London
$2,802 on cards from a stationary store
$2,143 at Starbucks
$1,572 for two cats
Amanda is also accused of withdrewing $524 for a deposit for a lunch. When JK’s husband Neil Murray went to said lunch, he discovered that no such deposit had been paid. It’s claimed that Amanda also pilfered more than $10,000 in foreign currency out of that safe.
As for the Harry Potter memorabilia, JK claims that Amanda made off with a $612 Hogwarts Express train, a $517 Harry Potter: Tales of Beedle The Bard Set, and a Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection worth almost $3,000. The discoveries were made in February, and by April 2017, Amanda was done as JK’s assistant.
A spokesperson for JK released this statement:
“I can confirm JK Rowling has taken legal action against her former personal assistant, Amanda Donaldson, following her dismissal for gross misconduct involving a substantial breach of trust. As the case is not yet concluded we are not able to comment further and there won’t be any comment from JK Rowling.”
Amanda denies she stole anything, and says JK has “not suffered any loss” and “is not entitled to damages.” Not suffered any loss might be somewhat correct, when you consider that JK Rowling’s rumored net worth is about a billion dollars. But that’s all the more reason not to steal from her! If I was working for JK, I’d just keep dropping subtle hints that I wanted something I couldn’t afford and hope she picked up on it. Like, “My life is a lonely nest of despair without an expensive-ass cat. Jk, JK, it’s not that bad, I only spend half my day researching how to sell my kidneys on the black market. Jk, I’ve only been researching how to sell one. Jk JK, or am I? I really want this cat.” At the very least, you’d think she’d just shove money in my face to get me to shut up with the Jk/JK jokes.
Pic: Wenn.com