J.K. Rowling has reignited her feud with Emma Watson after the Harry Potter star gave raw insights into their complex relationship.
On September 29, the 60-year-old author shared a lengthy response on X, previously Twitter, after Watson spoke openly on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast about cancel culture, respect, and her position on Rowling’s opinions.
I’m seeing quite a bit of comment about this, so I want to make a couple of points.
I’m not owed eternal agreement from any actor who once played a character I created. The idea is as ludicrous as me checking with the boss I had when I was twenty-one for what opinions I should… https://t.co/c0pz19P7jc
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 29, 2025
Watson, best known for playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies from 2001-2011, commented on the criticism Rowling has received for her contentious remarks about transgender people. While speaking on September 24, Watson explained she could never “cancel” Rowling, and emphasized how “no one is disposable” and dialogue must always have space for dignity and respect.
“I suppose where I’ve ended up is that it’s not so much what we say or believe, it’s how we say it,” Watson said to Shetty. She acknowledged that although she disagreed with the toxicity of public discourse, she was willing to have a dialogue with Rowling, although she declined to comment further to avoid keeping the feud alight. The actress also remembered Rowling’s earlier encouragement and niceness towards her, terming her support as an important aspect of her experience. “There is just no world in which I could ever cancel her out,” Watson insisted, even as she admitted their tense relationship.
Rowling, however, never minced words in her reply. “Like everyone who has never had to live in reality, uncushioned by wealth or fame, Emma has so little experience of real life that she is unaware of how unaware she is,” Rowling wrote. Rowling said she was not “owed eternal agreement” from any actor who had ever portrayed her characters, but was frustrated that Watson and Daniel Radcliffe had publicly voiced disagreements with her opinions. Rowling argued they had assumed the role of “de facto spokespeople” for the Harry Potter world, years after the films ended.
Rowling also revisited a moment that deeply affected her, Watson’s BAFTA appearance in 2022. Introduced on stage as a feminist “witch,” Watson used the moment to declare, “I’m here for all of the witches,” which many saw as a subtle jab at Rowling. Reflecting on it, Rowling said the remark marked a turning point for her. Adding more pain, Rowling revealed Watson later sent her a handwritten note that read only, “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through.” Rowling recalled how the message came at the height of the threats she faced, including death and rape threats, when her personal security was under strain.
“Emma had simply poured more petrol on the flames in public, but believed a one-line expression of concern would suffice to reassure me,” Rowling wrote, citing her long-time nanny-like protective nature toward the cast, whom she had grown up with.
In her X post, Rowling did credit Watson and her co-stars with having every right to back up gender identity ideology, although she emphasized she would never wish them violence or threats on account of their ideas. Nevertheless, she denigrated what she understood as their pushing the requirement of criticizing her in public, on the grounds of their connection with the Harry Potter franchise.
Watson’s representative has yet to respond to Rowling’s most recent statements. In the meantime, the controversy surrounding Rowling’s views on transgender people and her broken relationship with the actors from her favorite series remains ongoing, keeping both the author and her former co-stars in the news.
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