Emma Watson, celebrated for portraying Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, has been prohibited from driving for six months following a speeding violation.
The 35-year-old actress was clocked traveling at 38 mph in a 30 mph zone in Oxford on the night of July 31, 2024. Watson had accumulated nine points on her driving licence prior to this incident. During a hearing on Wednesday, July 16, at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court, she was ordered to pay a £1,044 fine. Watson was absent from the brief five-minute court session.
Her attorney, Mark Haslam, informed the court that Watson is currently enrolled as a student, working toward a master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Oxford, and affirmed her ability to cover the fine.
Watson gained worldwide recognition with the debut of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001 and featured in all eight films of the series. She has also starred in movies like Beauty and the Beast, The Bling Ring, and Little Women (2019). In 2023, she co-founded a sustainable gin brand with her brother.
In a related development, Zoe Wanamaker, known for her role as Madam Hooch in the Harry Potter films, was similarly fined £1,044 and banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding on August 7, 2024, on the M4 in Newbury, Berkshire. Wanamaker was driving at 46 mph in a 40 mph zone and, like Watson, had nine points on her licence before the violation.
Both actresses received three additional penalty points, exceeding the 12-point threshold, which led to their six-month driving suspensions, as confirmed by District Judge Arvind Sharma.
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