Emma Watson responds to J.K. Rowling saying she'd never "forgive" her for opposing her trans views

25 September 2025, 14:23 | Updated: 25 September 2025, 15:26

Emma Watson responds to J.K. Rowling saying she would never "forgive" her trans comments. Picture: On Purpose, Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

By Sam Prance

Emma Watson previously took a stand against J.K. Rowling's transphobia.

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Emma Watson has opened up about her relationship with J.K. Rowling after J.K. said that she would never forgive her.

In recent years, most of the Harry Potter cast have distanced themselves from J.K. Rowling over her transphobic views. In 2020, J.K. published a widely criticised essay about trans people and Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint responded by speaking out against J.K.'s comments and in support of trans people.

At the time, Emma took to X/Twitter to write: "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."

Years later, J.K. posted that that Daniel, Emma and Rupert had 'ruined' the films for her, and said she wouldn't forgive them after they criticised her.

Now, Emma has responded to J.K.'s comments and discussed their ongoing rift in a new interview with Jay Shetty.

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Talking to Jay on his On Purpose podcast, Emma said: "I just don’t want to say anything that continues to weaponise a really toxic debate and conversation. I don’t comment, or continue to comment — not because I don’t care about her or about the issue — but because the way that the conversation is being had feels really painful to me."

She added: "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."

Explaining the nuance to it, Emma added: “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."

Emma continued to state: "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."

She also said: "There is no world in which I could ever cancel her out, or cancel that out.”

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As for what hurt her the most, Emma revealed that it was the lack of communication: "I think the thing I’m most upset about is that a conversation was never made possible."

Emma ended by saying that she's still open to talking to J.K. and discussing their views: "Yeah, and I always will. I believe in that. I believe in that completely."