Harry Potter star Emma Watson FINALLY breaks silence on six-month driving ban: ‘I was like, my shame is everywhere!’
Harry Potter star Emma Watson spoke about her six-month driving ban for the first time on Jay Shetty’s podcast, and recalled how the news made global headlines
British actor Emma Watson has finally addressed her six-month driving ban, opening up about the experience during her recent appearance on Jay Shetty’s podcast. The actor, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film franchise, revealed how the incident unexpectedly became headline news across the world.
Recalling her reaction to the wave of media coverage, Emma admitted that she was taken aback by the attention it received. “I recently started riding a bicycle and yes, I started riding a bicycle before my driving ban, but now it's particularly fortuitous that I also ride a bicycle, for that reason, but that was mainstream news. Oh my God, I was getting phone calls like it's on the BBC. It's on international worldwide news. I was like, my shame is everywhere,” she said.
The 35-year-old actor explained that while the scrutiny was overwhelming, there was also an unexpectedly heartening outcome. “This is. I mean, what I say, I don't know. I think in a funny way, what the sweetest result of it was getting so many messages from people being like happened to me too. It sucks, which was kind of nice in a way,” she added.
For the uninitiated, in July, earlier thus year, Emma was banned from driving in the UK after accumulating 12 penalty points on her license. This included a speeding violation in Oxford where she was caught driving at 38 mph in a 30 mph zone. The ban followed three previous speeding offenses and a separate incident in February 2024 when her Audi S3 was towed for obstructive parking.
Her candid admission on Jay Shetty’s podcast marks the first time the actor has spoken about the incident herself. Despite describing the media attention as “shame everywhere,” Emma’s comments also highlighted how the moment became a strangely unifying experience, with strangers reaching out to share their own stories of facing similar situations.
