Emma Watson at the Baftas

Emma Watson presented the BAFTA for outstanding British film. (BBC)

Emma Watson makes ‘giant dig’ at JK Rowling after yet another trans rights rant

Watson, who played Hermione Granger in Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise, took to the stage on Sunday (13 March) to present the BAFTA for outstanding British film.

She was introduced by host Rebel Wilson, who joked: “Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.”

As she reached the podium, Watson, 31, smiled and said: “I’m here for all of the witches by the way.”

 

Fans took her statement as a “giant dig” at Rowling and her so-called gender critical beliefs.

One tweeted: “Emma Watson unsurprisingly continues to show the importance of love and acceptance for all, whilst JK Rowling spirals even further into creating the polar opposite.”

One trans fan added: “Emma Watson has me crying on the train and it’s not a great look. ‘I’m here for all the witches.’

“JK Rowling is not the daughter of a witch they couldn’t burn, she’s the daughter of the woman who screamed witch to have her sisters burned out of jealousy. She’s a sad relic.”

Emma Watson previously hit back at JK Rowling, declaring: ‘Trans people are who they say they are’

In 2020, JK Rowling published an essay setting out her alarming stance on trans rights.

In the days following the essay’s release, which left queer Harry Potter fans heartbroken, Emma Watson stepped up.

She took to Twitter to announce that she had made a donation to the trans kids charity Mermaids, and 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.

“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.”