Emma Watson commented on the sometimes criticized Harry Potter author JK Rowling in a podcast interview.
Emma Watson opened up about her thoughts on JK Rowling in a podcast. Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Actress Emma Watson and author JK Rowling have drifted into a verbal spat.
Behind it all is Watson’s visit from British podcast host Jay Shetty in the program.
In a podcast interview, Watson, known as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, commented on the kind of relationship she has with Potter author JK Rowling.
Rowling has received strong criticism for her views on trans rights. For example, in spring Rowling rejoiced About Great Britain’s decision to limit women’s rights to only women defined as women at birth. Rowling has published several articles on the messaging service X that have been criticized as transphobic.
Rowling has been criticized by, for example, Harry Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. Due to different views, the Actors and Rowling have been at loggerheads over the past few years.
Watson has also taken a stand on the rights of trans people, which is where Rowling’s and Watson’s sticky relationship stems from. In 2020, Rowling began sharing views about trans people, prompting Watson to defend them.
– Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they are not who they say they are, Watson wrote on Twitter at the time.
Now Watson states in Shetty’s podcast interview that he doesn’t think his views mean he can’t appreciate Rowling.
– I never believe that one cancels out the other and that I should not keep and cherish my experience of that person, Watson says in the podcast.
– My fervent wish is that people who don’t agree with me would love me, and I hope to be able to continue loving those people who don’t necessarily agree with me.
Watson also regrets that he has never had a conversation with Rowling about it.
Rowling commented
After Watson’s podcast interview, Rowling shared on his X account a parody video of the interview.
– I’m here for all the parodies, Rowling commented on the video with laughing emoticons.
If you don’t see the publication, you can view it from this link.
Rowling’s X publication can be interpreted as a direct reference to the 2022 Bafta gala. Watson gave a speech at the gala where she said she was there “for all the witches”. Watson’s speech was interpreted as a receipt for Rowling.
Next, Rowling published a longer text about her and Watson on her X account.
In her text, Rowling states that Watson and the other actors are entitled to their opinions. However, he criticized the fact that the Potter actors have acted as “representatives of the world he created”.
Rowling states that over the past few years, she has repeatedly refused requests from journalists to comment on the actors’ views.
Rowling says that after the Bafta speech, Watson had forwarded her a message in which she was sorry for what Rowling has had to experience. According to Rowling, this happened at a time when she was receiving a lot of death and rape threats, for example.
“Emma had just publicly added fuel to the flames, but thought that one expression of concern would convince me of her fundamental compassion and kindness,” Rowling writes.
Rowling also references Watson’s podcast interview in the text.
“Ironically, if Emma hadn’t decided to declare that she loves and cherishes me in her latest interview – I suspect she’s adopted the habit because she’s noticed that it’s not as fashionable to judge me outright as it used to be – I might never have been so honest,” Rowling writes.