Entertainment

Piers Morgan, J.K. Rowling in Twitter fight over politics

British TV personality Piers Morgan and British author J.K. Rowling are in a Twitter war over American politics.

Harry Potter author first tweeted after seeing the British TV personality on talk show discussing Trump ban

J.K. Rowling blasted TV personality Piers Morgan after he discussed U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban on a talk show. ( Joel Ryan/The Associated Press)

Brits may be known for politeness and restraint, but two of England's best-known exports aren't holding back in a Twitter war. Or should we say row.

TV personality Piers Morgan and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling sparred back and forth over American politics Friday and Saturday after Rowling expressed her satisfaction at a talk show clip in which Morgan had an expletive directed at him.

He said, she said

It all started when Morgan, a former CNN host and judge on Britain's Got Talent, defended the U.S. government's travel ban during an appearance on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday.

Former CNN host Piers Morgan faced off with Australian comic Jim Jefferies on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, saying Trump's executive order is "not a Muslim ban and sparking Rowling's Twitter wrath. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

Morgan faced off with Australian comic Jim Jefferies on the episode during a discussion of the executive order. Morgan, who has described Donald Trump as a friend in the past and appeared on Trump's former reality show Celebrity Apprentice, said it was "not a Muslim ban."

That's when Jefferies dropped the F-bomb and Rowling dropped her first tweet, writing, "Yes, watching Piers Morgan being told to f--k off on live TV is *exactly* as satisfying as I'd always imagined."

Rowling's 'arrogance'

What followed was a flurry of exchanges between Rowling and Morgan, many of which used explicit language.

Morgan responded to Rowling, saying he'd never read a word of her uber-popular fantasy series. He also slammed her "superior, dismissive arrogance."

In return, Rowling called Morgan a "celebrity toady" who is "fact-free and "amoral" with "bigotry-apologism."

Get the popcorn

Judging from the number of responses and growing attention, people just couldn't look away or resist chiming in, including Silicon Valley actor Kumail Nanjiani, Star Trek legend George Takei and House of Lies star Don Cheadle.

Morgan has maintained a fighting spirit with his retweets and replies but looks like Rowling did a mic drop.

With files from the Associated Press