Emma Watson is opening up about her complex relationship with J.K. Rowling amid the author’s infamous issues!
J.K. Rowling has become a very divisive figure for Harry Potter fans. Obviously, as the creator of the best-selling novels turned movie franchise, Rowling is vital to the franchise’s success. Without Rowling, the Potter franchise wouldn’t exist.
At the same time, Rowling has elicited controversy due to her outspoken words on certain minority groups. That has caused a major backlash and often overshadowed her works, including HBO’s planned Harry Potter TV series.
Several of the movie actors have expressed support for Rowling while others have decried her stances. One voice mostly quiet has been Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger.
In 2020, after Rowling's now infamous 3,600-word essay, which many criticized as transphobic, Watson shared a brief statement voicing her support for the transgender community. “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”
Now, however, the actress is speaking more about her relationship with Rowling and how she feels on her words.
Appearing on the “On Purpose With Jay Shetty” podcast, Watson was obviously asked about Rowling to clarify her feelings on the author today. Specifically, she was pressed on a tweet Rowling sent in March of 2025 when asked what actors “ruined” a movie for her and joked “I’ll give you three guesses,” which many believed meant Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint.
“I really don’t believe that by having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, mean that I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with. I will never believe that one negates the other and that my experience of that person, I don’t get to keep and cherish. To come back to our earlier thing — I just don’t think these things are either or. I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with. I think the thing I’m most upset about is that a conversation was never made possible.”
When Shetty asked if she remained open to having that dialogue, Watson replied, “Yeah, and I always will. I believe in that. I believe in that completely.”
It looks like Watson does have fond memories of Rowling and of course, is grateful to her for creating this role and world. At the same time, she can face the reality of Rowling’s viewpoints and seems disappointed in how she feels now. She does seem to have hope that the pair can talk things out in a cordial debate and it’s Rowling refusing to do so.
It’s a diplomatic response that one could expect from the actress and hopefully, one day she and Rowling can have that chat to try and mend fences.