In the world of Harry Potter, a public rift between its creator and its stars has felt like an unavoidable family feud. For years, it has played out in tweets, speeches, and interviews, creating a complex story of loyalty, ideology, and hurt feelings. The latest chapter unfolded just last week when Emma Watson, the actress who brought Hermione Granger to life, extended what seemed like an olive branch, only to have it firmly refused by author J.K. Rowling in a scorching public response.
The conflict, which has simmered since 2020, centers on Rowling’s statements on transgender rights, which many have criticized as transphobic. Watson, along with co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, was quick to voice support for the trans community, establishing a clear public disagreement. The tension was perhaps most famously symbolized by Watson’s 2022 BAFTA film awards speech. Taking the stage, she opened with the line, “I’m here for all of the witches,” a remark widely interpreted as a show of support for both cisgender and transgender women and, by extension, a subtle critique of Rowling’s views.
Emma: “It’s not so much what we say, but how we say it.”
Also Emma: “I’m here for ALL of the witches 😉” pic.twitter.com/4GW1jD5R2F
— Jack Jewell (@JackxJewell) September 29, 2025
A Public “Witch Trial” and a Private Rift
“The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling” is a 2023 podcast where the author frames the fierce backlash to her gender views as a modern-day witch hunt, a public persecution for her beliefs. She roots her stance in concerns for women’s rights and safety, using the platform to explore wider cultural wars over free speech and ideology. This context is vital for understanding the personal schism with Emma Watson, whose 2022 BAFTA declaration of support for “all the witches” was widely interpreted as a public alignment with the trans community and a subtle but clear critique of Rowling’s position.
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The Note That Deepened the Divide
While the public “all witches” comment was a turning point, Rowling’s recent statement reveals a private postscript that she says hurt even more. Shortly after the BAFTA event, at a time when Rowling says she was facing peak threats of “death, r*pe and torture,” Watson sent her a handwritten note through an intermediary. The note contained a single sentence: “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through.” For Rowling, this gesture was not comforting but profoundly hypocritical. She felt Watson had “publicly poured more petrol on the flames” before offering a “one-line expression of concern.” This moment, more than any public speech, seems to have cemented Rowling’s feeling that the relationship was broken beyond repair.
The feud entered a new phase last week when Watson appeared on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast. Striking a notably conciliatory tone, she expressed that her differing views did not erase her affection for the author. “I really don’t believe that… holding the love and support and views that I have, mean[s] that I can’t and don’t treasure Jo and the person that I had personal experiences with,” Watson said. She shared her “deepest wish” that people can love each other despite disagreements, framing her stance as one of compassion rather than cancellation.
A Clash of Worldviews and Privilege
Rowling, however, was not ready to accept this olive branch. On September 29, 2025, she published a nearly 700-word post on X, delivering her most personal and detailed rebuttal to date. She began by asserting that she does not expect “eternal agreement” from the actors, but took issue with Watson and Radcliffe acting as “de facto spokespeople for the world I created” years after the films ended. The core of her argument, however, was a stark contrast in lived experience and privilege. Rowling lambasted Watson’s wealth and fame, stating she is “ignorant of how ignorant she is” about the real-world consequences of the policies she supports.
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Rowling contrasted Watson’s life, insulated by security and luxury, with that of ordinary women who rely on single-sex spaces like homeless shelters, hospital wards, and changing rooms. She pointed to her own past of living in poverty, framing her “gender-critical” stance as a defense of hard-won women’s rights that she understands from lived experience. Furthermore, Rowling dismissed Watson’s recent softer tone as a cynical calculation, suspecting it was adopted because “full-throated condemnation of me is no longer quite as fashionable as it was.” She concluded by firmly rejecting the idea of a reconciliation, writing, “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.”
EMMA WATSON on JK ROWLING
“I can love her. I can know she love me.
I can be grateful to her.” pic.twitter.com/IsheVBw8km— WENSLEY (@WesGarbell) September 24, 2025
This very public and deeply personal disagreement highlights more than just a celebrity spat; it reflects the intensely polarized nature of the debate surrounding gender identity. With Rowling standing firm in her position and Watson now facing backlash from some activists for her conciliatory words, the situation illustrates how difficult it is to find a middle ground when the underlying worldviews are so deeply entrenched. The magical world of Harry Potter may be a place of clear heroes and villains, but the real-world rift between its creator and its stars remains a painfully human and unresolved story.
