'I'm here for all the witches!': Was Emma Watson's BAFTA remark a dig at JK Rowling?
Emma Watson seemed to attack Harry Potter author JK Rowling as she ascended the platform at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday. The actress, 31, who is most known for her role as Hermione Grainger in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling's books, came to the stage to present the award for Best Outstanding British Film when host Rebel Wilson introduced her.
"Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch," Rebel said. Emma then emphasized: "I'm here for ALL the witches!"
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Rebel Wilson: "Here to present the next award is Emma Watson. She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she's a witch"
— sailor moody | -52 (@miviendapianger) March 13, 2022
Emma Watson: "I'm here for all the witches!"#BAFTAs pic.twitter.com/zxXd46v4ZW
Viewers at home mistook the remark for a dig at the Harry Potter creator and praised the actress on Twitter.
Someone has just said "I think what Emma Watson said about JK Rowling at the BAFTAs was pretty low"
— Becky 🕸⭐ (@beckyboris) March 14, 2022
Imagine being a trans woman and hearing about JK's dirty deeds? Think that's a tad lower isn't it?
I think Emma is amazing! ✌🏻#JKDoesntSpeakForMe #TransWomenAreWomen
“I’m here for all the women”.
— DAN (Taylor’s Version). (@__d4nedison) March 13, 2022
Sly ‘lil dig at JK Rowling there, Emma Watson? 🙊 #EEBAFTAs
However, some viewers believed it had nothing to do with JK. A tweet read: "I don’t see how. I’m pro-trans rights, love Emma Watson and am disappointed by the transphobia of JK Rowling. But Watson saying 'I’m here for all the witches,' doesn’t seem to be saying anything about Rowling at all. It’s just her having a laugh. Not everything has to be shade."
I don’t see how. I’m pro-trans rights, love Emma Watson and am disappointed by the transphobia of JK Rowling. But Watson saying “I’m here for all the witches,” doesn’t seem to be saying anything about Rowling at all. It’s just her having a laugh. Not everything has to be shade. pic.twitter.com/CRY63pip4Y
— Luber Facts. *may not be facts (@Luber_Facts) March 14, 2022
JK was the target of Rebel's ire earlier in the night when she made a joke about her recent weight reduction. "That was me two years ago, and since then I've done quite a transformation – I hope JK Rowling still approves," she said, referring to a photo of her at the 2020 event that played on screen.
Over the years, JK's comments on transgender problems have been deemed transphobic by certain fans. The controversies began when she tweeted about biological sex, which sparked outrage and a 'cancellation' from the trans community. She took to Twitter in June 2020 to dispute an opinion piece that referred to women as "people who menstruate." She then moved on to a discussion of biological sex.
She stated that she respects "any trans person's right to live any way that feels real and comfortable to them," and that she would march if she was discriminated against because of her gender identity. "At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female," she remarked, according to the Associated Press at the time. "I do not believe it's hateful to say so," she added.
Then, in September 2020, she faced further accusations of transphobia as it was revealed that the villain in her most recent book, Troubled Blood, published under Rowling's pseudonym Robert Galbraith, is a male serial killer who kills his victims while dressed as a woman.