It was feared the writer, 56, might be “erased” altogether from HBO Max’s show Return to Hogwarts because of a rumbling dispute about her views on gender identity.
Trans activists have protested outside her home and her address has been posted on social media.
And JK’s opinions have been attacked by stars of the movie franchise that started with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry, Emma Watson, who was Hermione Granger and Rupert Grint, who starred as Ron Weasley all lined up to criticise her.
Now it has been confirmed she will appear on the reunion show in old clips and will crop up in conversation.
In a teaser for the special Daniel, Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley, and Hagrid star Robbie Coltrane are shown discussing the millionaire author.
Bonnie recalls: “So many people were falling in love with JK Rowling’s writing.” Daniel says: “It’s easy to forget that at the time, people were talking about ‘the death of reading’.”
Robbie adds the tribute: “One of the many reasons I admire JK so much is that millions now read books who would never have lifted a book up in their lives.”
JK is also seen in footage from 2019, discussing the struggle to find a child star to play her lead character.
She reveals: “We just couldn’t find Harry – and it was getting kind of weird, and panicky.”
However the show does not include any fresh footage of her.
The transgender row began in June 2020, when she tweeted criticism of an article that used the term “people who menstruate” instead of women.
She later said she respects “every trans person’s rights to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them”.
But she added: “My life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
Return to Hogwarts will be released on Sky and streaming service Now on New Year’s Day.