Emma Watson Handed Six-Month Driving Ban For Speeding Violation

 

British actress and activist Emma Watson has been banned from driving for six months after being caught exceeding the speed limit in Oxford, England.

The 35-year-old, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series, was recorded driving her blue Audi at 38 mph in a 30-mph zone on the evening of July 31 last year.

Watson did not attend the hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. She was fined £1,044 (around $1,400) and received three additional penalty points on her license, which already carried nine points prior to the incident—triggering an automatic six-month disqualification under UK law.

In a separate but coincidental case heard on the same day, fellow “Harry Potter” alum Zoë Wanamaker was handed the same sentence. Wanamaker, who played Madam Hooch in the first installment of the film series, was clocked at 46 mph in a 40-mph zone in Berkshire in August last year.

Like Watson, Wanamaker’s additional three penalty points brought her total to 12, leading to a mandatory six-month driving ban.

Neither actress commented publicly on the rulings. Representatives for Watson and Wanamaker declined to provide statements.

The parallel cases bring an unexpected post-script to the two actors’ brief on-screen overlap in the “Harry Potter” films, now playing out not in Hogwarts but in magistrates' court.

Since wrapping the globally beloved film franchise, Watson has transitioned into roles in major studio films such as Beauty and the Beast and Little Women, while also dedicating herself to advocacy and academic work.