Emma Watson has been praised after fans say she had a ‘dig’ at JK Rowling while presenting an award at the BAFTAs.
At the 75th British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards last night, Sunday March 12, the 31-year-old presented the award for Outstanding British film – but what Watson said prompted fans to accuse her of taking a sly dig a the Harry Potter writer.
What Did Emma Watson Say At The BAFTAs?
Before Watson went on stage to to present the award the show’s host, Rebel Wilson, introduced her saying: ‘Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.”
As Watson approached the podium she smiled and said: ‘I’m here for all all of the witches, by the way,’ which led to fans saying Watson had thrown shade at JK Rowling and her comments against trans women.
Many people took to Twitter praising Watson with one person saying they ‘live for’ the star ‘throwing subtle shade’ at the writer.
Why Would She Throw Shade?
The controversy surrounding the 56-year-old author began in 2020, when she criticised an article that used the term ‘people who menstruate’ instead of women.
She went on to write on her website: ‘I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe.
‘When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth.’
At the time she did follow this up by saying she believes ‘every trans person’s rights to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them,’ and went on to say she would march ‘if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans’.
But just months later it was revealed the villain her upcoming book, Troubled Blood, – which written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith – is a male serial killer who dresses as a woman to kill his victims and so the debate about Rowling’s views on trans people ensued.
More recently Rowling spoke out about Scotland’s new gender reforms, in which the legislation proposes dropping the need for medical and psychiatric reports, reducing the waiting time from two years to three months, and will allow 16 and 17-year-olds to apply.
Rowling shared two tweets about the reforms, one said: ‘The law @NicolaSturgeon‘s trying to pass in Scotland will harm the most vulnerable women in society: those seeking help after male violence/r**e and incarcerated women. Statistics show that imprisoned women are already far more likely to have been previously abused.’
Celebrities Speak Out
Watson isn’t the only celebrity – or even Harry Potter star – to speak out against Rowling’s views. On the evening of the BAFTAs Rebel Wilson made her own comment nodding towards Rowling’s views with reference to her recent weightloss.
Wilson said: ‘That was me two years ago and since then I’ve done quite a transformation – I hope JK Rowling still approves.’
Daniel Radcliffe – who played the titular character in the Harry Potter films – doesn’t really voice his opions on social media, but following her 2020 comments he released a statement via the LGBTQ+ suicide prevention charity, The Trevor Project, during which he said: ‘Transgender women are women.’
He continued: ‘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.’