Emma Watson showcased her impressive paddle skills while enjoying a game of padel with her friends in Ibiza on Monday. The 32-year-old actress, known for her role in the Harry Potter series, wore a stylish black sports bra and matching shorts as she soaked up the Spanish sunshine on the court. To protect herself from the sun, Emma wore a blue cap and even took off her white t-shirt during the workout session. Padel is a doubles racket sport played on a smaller enclosed area compared to a tennis court. Despite the slight differences in ball pressure, the scoring system is similar to that of tennis. Emma arrived at the court in a cool black ensemble and a slogan t-shirt supporting the #heforshe movement, which promotes gender equality and is backed by the United Nations. As an advocate and Goodwill Ambassador, Emma has been actively involved in this initiative.
Looking fit and fabulous, the actress from Harry Potter sported a sleek black sports bra and coordinating shorts while enjoying a round of paddle sport under the radiant Spanish sun.
Look who’s here! Emma has arrived at the padel court with her friends, wearing a catchy T-shirt that proudly displays the phrase #heforshe. This sighting comes after Emma seemingly criticized J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, during her appearance at this year’s BAFTA Film Awards. Emma, renowned for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the film adaptations of Rowling’s novels, took the stage to present the award for Best Outstanding British Film. Rebel Wilson, the host, introduced Emma with a humorous remark, saying, “Emma Watson is here to present the next award. She may call herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a sorceress.”
The catchphrase symbolizes an effort by the United Nations to promote gender equality, and Emma is actively involved in this movement as both an advocate and a Goodwill Ambassador.
Savage: Emma Watson seemingly threw shade at renowned author JK Rowling during her speech at the BAFTA Film Awards earlier this year. Emma’s words were loud and clear as she firmly stated, “I’m representing all the witches out there!” This remark caught the attention of viewers at home who instantly took to social media to applaud the actress. One Twitter user cheekily hinted, “Seems like Emma Watson just made a sly jab at JK Rowling with her ‘I’m here for all the women’ comment, huh?”
Teasing: Rebel playfully remarked, “Emma Watson is here to present the next award. She claims to be a feminist, but we all know she possesses magical powers.” In response, Emma humorously emphasized, “I’m here to support all the witches!” One Twitter user commented, “I love how Emma Watson subtly shaded JK Rowling at the #BAFTAs #LGBWithTheT #JKDoesntSpeakForMe.” Another excitedly added, “Did Emma Watson just take a playful dig at JK Rowling? She’s such a QUEEEEENNN.” Earlier in the evening, Rebel targeted JK Rowling with a joke about her recent weight loss. Referring to a photo of herself at the 2020 ceremony shown on screen, Rebel quipped, “That was me two years ago, and since then I’ve undergone quite a transformation. I hope JK Rowling still approves.”
A playful remark? Viewers who were watching the show perceived the statement as a witty jab towards the well-known author of Harry Potter, leading them to express their admiration for the actress on Twitter.
Critics were quick to express their dissatisfaction with Emma Watson and BAFTA host Rebel for succumbing to the demands of the “woke mob” and utilizing their prime time slot on BBC1 to attack J.K. Rowling. Emma Watson, renowned for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the film adaptations of Rowling’s books which greatly contributed to her impressive wealth of £65 million ($85 million), faced backlash from viewers. One Twitter user commented, “She should appreciate the fact that JK Rowling was instrumental in her success. She owes her a great deal and should stop biting the hand that feeds her.” Another individual questioned Watson’s feminist ideals, stating, “Emma Watson, a self-proclaimed feminist, is unable to define what a woman is? Isn’t she famous solely because of JK?”
Appreciated for her portrayal of Hermione Grainger in the successful film series based on Rowling’s novels, Watson has accumulated a remarkable fortune of £65 million ($85 million).
Surprising: The criticisms emerged in response to statements made by JK Rowling, which some fans labeled as transphobic.
The controversy began when she tweeted about biological sex, which resulted in negative reactions and subsequent condemnation from the transgender community.
In June 2020, she expressed her disapproval on Twitter towards an opinion piece that used the phrase ‘people who menstruate’ instead of referring to women. This led to a lengthy discussion on the topic of biological sex.
Later on, she clarified her stance by stating that she respects the rights of every transgender individual to live their lives authentically and comfortably. In fact, she even mentioned that she would advocate for their rights if they faced discrimination based on their transgender identity.
Pushing back: The uproar revolving around Rowling initiated when she posted a tweet regarding biological gender, which resulted in a strong negative reaction and subsequently led to her being ‘cancelled’ by the transgender community.
Controversial: In June 2020, she expressed her dissatisfaction on Twitter regarding an opinion piece that referred to “people who menstruate” instead of acknowledging them as women. She followed up with a series of tweets discussing the importance of biological sex. According to the Associated Press, she stated, “At the same time, being female has greatly influenced my life. I don’t believe it’s hateful to acknowledge this.”
Later, in September 2020, she faced renewed accusations of transphobia when it came to light that the antagonist in her latest novel, Troubled Blood, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, is a male serial killer who disguises himself as a woman to commit his heinous crimes.
As a result of these comments, several actors from the Harry Potter franchise, including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Eddie Redmayne, who stars in her Fantastic Beasts films, openly criticized the author.
In December, Rowling found herself once again defending against accusations of transphobia as she argued for sex, rather than gender identity, to be the primary factor considered in safeguarding decisions.
After the author made controversial remarks, the Harry Potter actors, including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Eddie Redmayne from the Fantastic Beasts films, expressed their disapproval and spoke out against transphobia.
