Emma Watson says she 'treasures' JK Rowling despite rift, upset they never had a conversation

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Emma Watson is opening up about her long-standing rift with 'Harry Potter' author JK Rowling, sparked by Rowling’s controversial anti-trans remarks in 2019.

Watson, along with co-star Daniel Radcliffe, publicly supported the transgender community in response, drawing criticism from Rowling, who later told them to “save their apologies.”

Now, Watson says she still values her personal experiences with Rowling and hopes they can find mutual respect despite their differences.

Emma Watson says she continues loving people who don’t share her opinions

Watson, who rose to global fame playing Hermione Granger in the 'Harry Potter' films from 2001 to 2011, appeared on the September 24 episode of 'On Purpose with Jay Shetty.'

During the interview, she opened up about her strained relationship with JK Rowling after host Jay Shetty brought up the topic.

The tension between them remains unresolved. Rowling previously indicated she had no intention of forgiving Watson and fellow 'Harry Potter' star Daniel Radcliffe for publicly opposing her controversial comments on transgender issues.

Watson said, “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.” She 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.”

Watson went on to express her hope that mutual love and respect can exist even in disagreement: “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.” 

Is Emma Watson open to reconciliation with JK Rowling?

Emma Watson also shared her disappointment that a meaningful conversation between her and Rowling never took place. When asked if she would be open to speaking with Rowling in the future, Watson responded without hesitation, “Yeah, and I always will. I believe in that. I believe in that completely.”

Later in the interview, Watson emphasized a broader message of compassion, stating, “And everyone as far as possible, whatever the conversation is, should and can be treated with, at the very least, dignity and respect.”

Watson admitted she has kept the door open to reconnect with Rowling, mainly because “a conversation was never made possible.”

She explained her reluctance to discuss the issue publicly, saying, “I just don’t want to say anything that continues to weaponize a really like toxic debate and conversation. It is why 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.”

“There is just no world in which I could ever cancel her out for, or cancel that out, for anything. It has to remain true — it is true,” she added.

Watson continued, “I can love her, I can know she loved me, I can be grateful to her, I can know the things that she said are true, and there can be this whole other thing.” She said, “My job feels like to just hold all of it, but the bigger thing is just what she’s done will never be taken away from me.”    

What happened between JK Rowling and Emma Watson?

After JK Rowling’s 2020 essay defending her views on gender and sex, both Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe publicly reaffirmed their support for the transgender community.

In a June 2020 post on X (formerly Twitter), Watson wrote, “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.” She followed up with another message, saying, “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are."

Radcliffe also responded by penning an essay for 'The Trevor Project,' an organization focused on supporting at-risk LGBTQ youth. “Transgender women are women,” he wrote. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”

In response to the backlash, Rowling pushed back against claims that she “hates trans people.” In a June 2020 post on X, she wrote, “The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women — ie, to male violence — ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences — is a nonsense."