Jorge Arantes who was previously married to the 'Harry Potter' author confesses to hitting her during their marriage but insists 'there was not sustained abuse.'

AceShowbiz - J.K. Rowling's ex-husband has enraged domestic violence campaigners by showing no remorse after confessing to slapping her in a heavily criticised interview with British newspaper The Sun.

The "Harry Potter" creator came under fire this week, including from several stars of the movies based on her wizarding book after questioning the idea that "sex isn't real" in a series of tweets that LGBTQ+ activists condemned as transphobic.

In response to the criticism, she penned a personal essay on Wednesday, in which she opened up for the first time about being "a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor" - which her ex Jorge Arantes disputes despite admitting to striking her.

He told The Sun, "I slapped Joanne - but there was not sustained abuse. I'm not sorry for slapping her."

A number of British Members of Parliament have condemned The Sun's reporting on Arantes' comments and its frontpage headline highlighting his lack of remorse, including Labour Party Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding Jess Phillips.

Phillips tweeted, "The sun headline is awful, the perpetrator more awful still. You'd be surprised how only his hideous arrogant admission will allow some to believe. Still too often doubt and disbelief are the best weapon abusers have in their arsenal... 'no one will believe you.' "

Her colleague Stella Creasy added, "The decision of the Sun to put an abusers 'side of the story' reflects how violence against women so often gets dismissed 'as a domestic' and so debate focuses on 'reasons it happens' rather than how to stop it. Heads should roll for doing this, not newspaper presses.."

Arantes, who is father to her daughter Jessica, 27, married the author in October 1992, but they split just 13 months later. Back in 2000, the Portuguese former TV journalist admitted there had been a "violent struggle" when she left him with their daughter.

In an emotional section of her essay, Rowling, who is now married to Scottish doctor Neil Murray, outlined Arantes' actions' effect on her.

"I managed to escape my first violent marriage with some difficulty, but I'm now married to a truly good and principled man, safe and secure in ways I never in a million years expected to be," she explained. "However, the scars left by violence and sexual assault don't disappear, no matter how loved you are, and no matter how much money you've made."

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