J.K. Rowling Goes Nuclear On Former 'Harry Potter' Star, Situation Will Likely Get Very Ugly
J.K. Rowling appears to be going nuclear on her former star Emma Watson.
It doesn't appear J.K. Rowling and Emma Watson will be sitting down to get drinks in the near future.
There's long been a simmering issue between the "Harry Potter" author and the woman who starred in the eight movies tied to one simple issue:
Rowling has been a vocal supporter of keeping men out of women's spaces. Watson is vocally and publicly pro-transgender. The issue has simmered for years due to Watson's public comments about transgenderism, and the belief she was taking shots at Rowling.
It's important to note Watson hasn't named Rowling in her comments, but it's hard not to read it that way. For example, the tweets below came directly after Rowling fired off tweets about transgenderism.
Watson also went viral years ago when she said "I'm here for all of the witches" during the 2022 BAFTA Awards. Many interpreted it as a shot at Rowling, but it's honestly too vanilla and tame to know if it was anything more than a lighthearted moment.
J.K. Rowling unloads on Emma Watson.
The situation between the two appeared to recently receive a very positive update when the actress praised Rowling and admitted things should have gone differently.
"I really don’t believe that by having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, means 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," Watson said during an interview with Jay Shetty.
The former "Harry Potter" star further added, "I think the thing I’m most upset about is that a conversation was never made possible."
Emma Watson and J.K. Rowling have long had a feud that seems to be getting much worse. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Rowling isn't having any of it. She hopped on X early Monday and unleashed a lengthy statement slamming Emma Watson.
The famous author stated the following, in part, when discussing the feud:
"I've repeatedly declined invitations from journalists to comment on Emma specifically, most notably on the Witch Trials of JK Rowling. Ironically, I told the producers that I didn't want her to be hounded as the result of anything I said. The television presenter in the attached clip highlights Emma's 'all witches' speech, and in truth, that was a turning point for me, but it had a postscript that hurt far more than the speech itself. Emma asked someone to pass on a handwritten note from her to me, which contained the single sentence 'I'm so sorry for what you're going through' (she has my phone number). This was back when the death, rape and torture threats against me were at their peak, at a time when my personal security measures had had to be tightened considerably and I was constantly worried for my family's safety. Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames, yet thought a one line expression of concern from her would reassure me of her fundamental sympathy and kindness. Like other people who've never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she's ignorant of how ignorant she is."
She further wrote, "The greatest irony here is that, had Emma not decided in her most recent interview to declare that she loves and treasures me - a change of tack I suspect she's adopted because she's noticed full-throated condemnation of me is no longer quite as fashionable as it was - I might never have been this honest. Adults can't expect to cosy up to an activist movement that regularly calls for a friend's assassination, then assert their right to the former friend's love, as though the friend was in fact their mother. Emma is rightly free to disagree with me and indeed to discuss her feelings about me in public - but I have the same right, and I've finally decided to exercise it."
You can see Rowling's full statement in the mega-viral tweet below.
Like I said, I don't think these two are going to be sitting down for drinks at any point in the near future. It's really a shame because this could all likely have been avoided by some simple phone calls or a meeting in person.
What's most surprising about it is Watson appeared to be extending an olive branch with her recent comments about always having a special place for Rowling.
Instead of the olive branch being accepted, Rowling decided to go nuclear and hit the launch button with an X post.
Drama of this level between people who worked together for more than a decade is always going to get ugly when it's public. Both sides should figure out how to get on the phone and iron it out privately.
J.K. Rowling slammed Emma Watson with a lenghty statement on X. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images and Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage via Getty Images)
It's even more of a shame because they both greatly benefited each other for years. Rowling created the world that made Watson famous, and Watson helped bring the books to the big screen with performances that were outstanding.
There's also another common misconception floating around this situation. There are some who argue that Watson wouldn't be rich if it weren't for Rowling. There's certainly some truth to that as the films bagged her huge paydays. However, it's worth noting that Watson came from a wildly successful family long before getting into acting. The private school she attended as a kid was far from cheap.
Watson would have been fine in life financially even if she'd never gotten into acting, but it's also indisputable "Harry Potter" made her a hell of a lot richer than she was already set to be.
Will Emma Watson and J.K. Rowling ever reconcile? (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Let this be a learning experience for everyone. Get off the internet when there's an issue, don't make public statements left open to interpretation and instead, get on the phone and figure it out like adults. Agree? Disagree? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.