Harry Potter star Emma Watson slapped with ban, fine

A usually clean-cut Emma Watson – who has stepped back from acting – is making headlines for the wrong reasons, slapped with a ban and a fine in court.

Emma Watson has been banned from driving in the UK for six months.

The Harry Potter actress, 35, who is currently studying at England’s prestigious Oxford University, was caught driving her blue Audi at 61km/h in a 48km/h zone in Oxford in July 2024.

A lawyer for the star, who has stepped back from acting to pursue a master’s degree in creative writing, fronted High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on her behalf Wednesday.

Emma Watson has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding in her blue Audi. Picture: Crowder/Legge/GC Images

Watson, who wasn’t in court for the hearing, was banned from driving after accumulating more than nine penalty points, and was ordered to pay a £1,044 ($AU2146.05) fine.

Her lawyer Mark Haslam said his client was “in a position to pay the fine”, per BBC News.

The notoriously private actress began studying at Oxford in 2023.

Her last feature film role was in Greta Gerwig’s 2019 period drama, Little Women.

Watson, 35, has stepped back from the spotlight in recent years. Picture: Jacopo M. Raule/Getty Images for Prada

Watson re-entered the spotlight for the much-hyped Harry Potter reunion in 2022, which saw the core cast head back to the Warner Bros. set for the first time since they filmed the last movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, more than a decade ago.

Watson, alongside her co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, was just 11 years old when she was cast in the fantasy franchise.

Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint were cast as Hermione, Harry and Ron in Warner Bros’ Harry Potter franchise in 2000. Picture: Supplied

The trio starred in eight films in the wildly successful fantasy franchise. Picture: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Speaking during the televised reunion special, Watson admitted to struggling with early fame.

“I did find a diary entry (from the time) that was kind of like … I could see that at times I was lonely. The fame thing had really hit home in a big way,” she said at the time.

“I think I was scared,” Watson told Grint. “I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now’.”

With the exception of the occasional public appearance on red carpets and at fashion events, Watson has maintained a very low profile in recent years.

She has, however, been spotted with a couple of love interests since she started study at Oxford.

In July last year, paparazzi captured the star kissing fellow student Kieran Brown.

But earlier this month, almost a year later, Watson was spotted in an Oxford park sitting with an unidentified potential new love interest in photos shared by the Daily Mail.

Onlookers told the outlet it appeared as though the outing was a date.

Originally published as Harry Potter star Emma Watson slapped with ban, fine