After years of public tension arising from JK Rowling's controversial statements about trans people, Emma Watson decided to speak for the first time openly and thoughtfully about her relationship with the author of the Harry Potter saga.

In an emotional interview for the podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty, the British actress addressed one of the most sensitive issues of her public life: how to reconcile her affection for a pivotal figure in her career with the profound ideological divide that separates them.

What did Emma Watson say?

Watson, world-renowned for her iconic role as Hermione Granger, didn’t shy away from the topic or downplay her differences with Rowling.

“I really don’t think that because I had that experience and maintain the love, support, and opinions that I have, means that I can’t and don’t hold the person with whom I had personal experiences in my esteem,” she said.

The actress emphasized that disagreements shouldn’t erase shared memories or the value of human connections. “How we say things is as important as what we say,” she said.

What sparked the conflict?

The conflict between Rowling and several members of the Harry Potter cast escalated in 2020, when the author posted a sarcastic comment on Twitter about the use of the term “people who menstruate” instead of “women.” “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Can someone help? Big women? Big women? Big men?” she wrote, sparking a wave of criticism that many interpreted as a denial of trans and non-binary identities. Rowling later defended her position in a lengthy thread, stating that “if sex isn’t real, then the lived reality of women everywhere is erased” and assuring that she didn’t mean to hate, but to “speak the truth.” However, her words were received as exclusionary by large sections of the LGBTQ+ community, and several actors from the series, including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, publicly expressed their support for trans people.

Despite the estrangement, Watson didn't rule out a possible reconciliation. When Shetty asked her if she would still like to engage in a conversation with Rowling, the actress replied without hesitation: "Yes. And I always will. I believe in that."

"My deepest wish is that... I hope that people who disagree with my opinion will love me, and I hope that I can continue to love people who don't necessarily share the same opinion," Watson concluded.