Emma Watson, beloved for her iconic role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding in Oxford.
The 35-year-old actress, now a postgraduate student at the University of Oxford, was clocked driving a blue Audi at 38mph in a 30mph zone on the evening of 31 July last year. With nine points already on her licence, the incident triggered an automatic suspension.
High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court handed Watson the six-month ban on Wednesday and ordered her to pay £1,044 in fines and legal fees. The hearing lasted only five minutes, and Watson was not present in court. Her lawyer, Mark Haslam, stated that she is capable of paying the fine.
Watson has largely stepped back from acting in recent years. After rising to fame in 2001 as part of the original Harry Potter trio, she starred in Beauty and the Beast, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and The Bling Ring, with her last major role in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women in 2019. In 2023, she launched a sustainable gin brand with her brother.
