Actress Emma Watson has been banned from driving for six months after racking up too many points on her licence following a speeding offence in Oxfordshire.
The Harry Potter star, 35, was handed the disqualification in her absence at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Monday. Court officials confirmed Watson had already admitted to breaking the 30mph speed limit, having been clocked doing 38mph in Banbury on 31 July last year.
At the time of the offence, Watson was already sitting on nine points. The additional three pushed her over the threshold for a totting-up ban, resulting in an automatic six-month suspension from driving.
She was also fined £1,044 and ordered to pay costs, adding to a growing list of motoring mishaps involving the Oxford-born actress.
Studying and speeding
Watson, who found fame as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, had been studying at Oxford University for a doctorate at the time of the offence. It’s understood she was driving her grey Audi S3, valued at around £3,000, through a camera-controlled zone.
The car is the same one that drew attention in 2023 when it was left parked outside the Rose and Crown pub in Stratford-upon-Avon, blocking a restaurant manager’s vehicle for several hours. Despite appeals, she was hit with a £192 parking fine after police were eventually called to the scene.
From film sets to courtroom fines
Watson, who also starred in Beauty and the Beast and Little Women, has largely kept a low public profile in recent years, devoting time to academic work and activism. She remains a UN Women goodwill ambassador and has frequently spoken about sustainable fashion and gender equality.
But the latest driving ban marks a rare brush with the law for the actress, who has otherwise maintained a reputation for being grounded despite international fame.
A pattern of minor offences
While the offence itself is not serious, it adds to a pattern of driving-related incidents that have raised eyebrows. Legal experts say that once a motorist accumulates 12 points, disqualification is almost inevitable unless “exceptional hardship” can be demonstrated.
No such argument was made in Watson’s case, and the ban now prevents her from driving until early 2026.
So far, the star has made no public comment about the court’s decision.
