Emma Watson Shares Thoughts on JK Rowling — "I Could Never Cancel Her Out"

There was a time when the Harry Potter franchise seemed to rule the world. Straight from the mind of creator JK Rowling, the series celebrated fantasy, imagination, and a dive into the impossible.

When the movies brought the book series to life, they starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and a slew of other major Hollywood names who have since been cemented into the Harry Potter annals of history.

However, there came a time when the series stars split with the creator over her controversial statements about gender, transgender people, and women in general. Emma Watson has recently shared her thoughts on Rowling, and they might surprise you. Here's what we know.

In a recent podcast interview with iHeartRadio, Emma opened up about her thoughts on Rowling. The stars have publicly broken with Rowling over her comments about gender, and at times their relationship has seemed contentious.

So, it may surprise you to know that Emma still holds Rowling in high regard. "Jo," as Emma calls her, still holds a special place in her heart.

Emma explained, "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. I will never believe that one negates the other, and that my experience of that person, I don't get to keep and cherish."

Emma continued, "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. That's a very, very important way for me that I need to be able to move through life." she added that she doesn't agree with the "throwing out of people," saying, "There is just no world in which I could ever cancel her out, or cancel that out."

She concluded, "I can love her, I can know she loved me, I can be grateful to her. ... What she's done will never be taken away from me."

In other words, they can disagree, but she can still have fond memories of the woman who helped her bring Hermione to life.

However, fans were quick to point out that Rowling may not agree with her.

In 2020, Daniel, Emma, and Rupert all spoke out against Rowling's anti-transgender comments.

Earlier this year, Rowling responded to a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), quipping that "take three guesses" as to which actors would instantly ruin a movie for her, according to USA Today.

In 2024, USA Today notes that a user told Rowling, "Waiting for Dan and Emma to give you a very public apology … safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them." To which Rowling replied, "Not safe, I'm afraid."

Under a video of Emma speaking positively of Rowling on the iHeartRadio podcast, one fan pointed out that Rowling would likely not be so generous when speaking of Emma.

They wrote, "The thing is: JKR doesn't believe in this... She thinks the actors standing against her are ungrateful brats."

It's unclear exactly what the relationship is between Rowling, Emma, and the other stars these days. However, Emma seems willing to build bridges and have frank discussions with Rowling. It's unclear if Rowling feels the same.