An actress who was recast in a TV adaptation of a JK Rowling novel because she fell pregnant has been awarded more than £11,000.
Antonia Kinlay, 34, featured in detective series The Strike, shown on the BBC and based on the Lethal White crime novels - published under the Harry Potter author's Robert Galbraith pseudonym.
Ms Kinlay, who is the daughter of hedge fund guru Jonathan Kinlay and granddaughter of Fleet Street editor James Kinlay, believed she would reprise her role as Sarah Shadlock in the next series called Lethal White.
Although the first series only featured her for 30 seconds, her role was described as 'pivotal' because although engaged she has an affair with the main male character who is recently married.
She was due to feature slightly more in the second series and would have been filming for four days.
But the RADA trained Olivier award nominated actress fell pregnant between series one and two being filmed and was recast with another actress who was not pregnant.
As a result, Ms Kinlay sued the production company, claiming her pregnancy could have been hidden using creative photography.
Antonia Kinlay, 34, featured in detective series The Strike for only 30 seconds but was a 'pivotal' character
The series is based on the crime novel series about detective Cormoran Strike, written by JK Rowling (pictured)
But the RADA trained Olivier award nominated actress fell pregnant between series one and two being filmed and was recast with another actress who was not pregnant (stock image)
Film company bosses at Bronte Film & Television Limited said the character of Sarah Shadlock suddenly having a baby bump would have confused viewers and gone against the plot of the book.
In an email in October 2019 after shooting was due to start, producer Ruth Kenley-Letts told a representative of actors union Equity: 'We were concerned given the nature of the storyline, that it might appear that the character was pregnant and that this would therefore raise questions with the audience as to whether Matthew was the father as well as sleeping with his best friends fiance.
'We made the decision to recast the role to avoid this complication which is not in the book. One of our remits is to stay close to JK Rowlings novels and this would have changed significantly what JKR wrote.'
The role in Lethal White was still fairly minor, but was slightly larger than in the previous series.
The character Sarah Shadlock is described as 'glamorous' and works in a London auction house, dressing in a sophisticated way.
Filming was due to start in September 2019 with 60 days' shooting to be finished by December 12 when Ms Kinlay would have been just under seven months' pregnant.
But on July 29 that year Ms Kinlay's agent was told she would not be recast following a meeting involving the film makers.
Two months later another actress was signed by the production company for £9,555 to play the role.
Central London Employment Tribunal heard Ms Kinlay tell the court pregnancies are often disguised in other shoots through a variety of tricks, including costume choices, camera angles and strategically placed props.
Ms Kinlay was replaced by another actress who was paid double. Ms Kinlay's wage was £4,370, but she was replaced with an actor costing £9,555 as the character was to feature more in the next series
As a result, Ms Kinlay (stock photo) sued the production company, claiming her pregnancy could have been hidden using creative
