JK Rowling Denounces Emma Watson After “Ignorant” Podcast Comments

JK Rowling has responded to Emma Watson’s recent comments about the author’s transphobia and how we reckon with the Potter legacy, in what some are describing as a “scorched earth” approach.

The comments come only days after Watson- who was catapulted to international stardom as a child for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the film adaptations of Rowling’s Harry Potter books- discussed Rowling’s views on Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose.

“There’s just no world in which I could ever cancel her out or cancel that out for anything,” she said.

“I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with.

“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.”

In a post published to X on Monday morning, Rowling didn’t hold back in her criticism of Watson, writing that she had “poured more petrol” on public criticism of the author.

She said she had previously held a “certain protectiveness” over Watson and her co-stars after knowing them since they were children, and had declined to publicly discuss their comments made in regards to her views to protect them from being “hounded as the result of anything I said.”

“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,” Rowling said.

“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.”

And exercise it she did

Rowling claimed that Watson was too privileged to be well informed about trans rights, saying she “has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is.”

She went on to list some transphobic dogwhistle scenarios where cis women are allegedly placed in dangerous situations by the presence of a trans woman, such as bathrooms, pools, and rape crisis centres.

“I wasn’t a multimillionaire at fourteen,” Rowling wrote. “I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous. I therefore understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women’s rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges.”

Only days before, Rowling had retweeted a parody video of Watson, with the comedian portraying her saying she was “here for ALL the spoofs”, a reference to Watson’s 2022 comments at the BAFTAs about being “here for all the witches”, in what was considered to be a dig at Rowling.

The author also revealed that at the time of those comments, Watson had asked someone to pass a handwritten note to Rowling reading: “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through”, saying they came at a time where her anti-trans comments had led to “death, rape and torture threats.”

“I was constantly worried for my family’s safety,” she wrote. “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.”