J.K. Rowling Reveals Dumbledore and Grindelwald Had an ‘Incredibly Intense' Sexual Relationship

J.K. Rowling has delved deeper into the complicated relationship between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald on the special features for the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Blu-ray, Radio Timesreports. Rowling reveals that there was a “sexual dimension” to their bond, confirming that there was some reciprocity on Grindelwald’s part to Dumbledore’s affection.

“Their relationship was incredibly intense. It was passionate, and it was a love relationship,” Rowling said during the 'Distinctly Dumbledore' feature. “But as happens in any relationship, gay or straight or whatever label we want to put on it, one never knows really what the other person is feeling. You can’t know, you can believe you know.”

“So I’m less interested in the sexual side – though I believe there is a sexual dimension to this relationship – than I am in the sense of the emotions they felt for each other, which ultimately is the most fascinating thing about all human relationship,” Rowling adds.

In 2007, Rowling casually confessed that Dumbledore was gay during a Q&A session with Harry Potter fans. Her admission was followed by the revelation that Dumbledore’s love for childhood friend turned dark wizard Grindelwald became his "great tragedy."

Even though Dumbledore’s sexual orientation and his feelings toward Grindelwald were a well-known fact, the 2018 film The Crimes of Grindelwald failed to provide any further clarification regarding their relationship, aside from the closeness that these two characters shared.