Overview

• In a Sept. 24 On Purpose podcast interview, Watson said she remains willing to speak with Rowling despite their opposing views on transgender issues.
• Watson explained that she avoids public back-and-forth because the conversation has become “really toxic” and she does not want her words used as a weapon.
• She called the absence of any direct conversation the most upsetting part of the rift and said she will not “cancel” the author whose work shaped her early career.
• Recent context includes Rowling’s 2024 remarks implying she would not forgive Watson and Daniel Radcliffe and suggesting the former leads now “ruin” the films for her.
• Watson reiterated she is on a self-imposed acting break that began after 2019’s Little Women but has not quit, citing painful on-set experiences as a factor.