Emma Watson Expresses Continued Respect for J.K. Rowling Despiteโฃ Ongoing Disagreement
LOS ANGELES, CA – Actress Emma Watson has stated she still “values” her past relationship with Harryโข Potter author J.K. Rowling, despite a public disagreement overโข Rowling’sโ views on transgender rights. Tho, Watson expressed regret that a direct conversation withโค Rowlingโค has โขproven unfeasible.
The comments came during an interview on Jay Shetty’s podcast, as reported by Pรบblico. Watson โคhas previously voiced โsupport โขfor the transgender โคcommunity, โขstating in 2020 that “Trans people are whoโฃ they say they are and deserve to live theirโ lives without being constantly questioned โคor told they are not who they say they are,” in response to Rowling’s statements on the topic. This led to a โคpublic distancing between the two.
“I do not believe that โthe fact that I had thisโ experience and having the love, support and opinions I have, it means that it cannot value Jo [JK Rowling],”โ Watson said, adding, “I โขwill never believe that one thing nullifies the other andโ that my experience withโฃ this โขperson isโ not โฃto be kept and cherished.”
Rowling has faced criticism for expressing concerns that transgender โฃrights could potentially undermine the rights of cisgender women.โข She has not yet โpublicly โขresponded to Watson’s recent statements.
In the same interview, Watson, 35, alsoโ reflected on her time starring in the Harry Potter โfilm series alongside Daniel โขradcliffe and Rupert Grint, describing it as formative but leading โto unrealisticโข expectations โabout future professional relationships. She noted the competitiveโค nature of Hollywood and the pain she experienced โwhen realizing โคcolleagues weren’t necessarily seeking โlifelong friendships.
Currently, Watson is studying creative writing at Oxford University and โขindicated she misses “using my abilities andโฆthe โart,” but has โnot yet โขrevealed plans toโฃ return to acting.
