Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding.
Police caught Watson, known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, driving a blue Audi at 38mph in a 30mph zone in Oxford on the evening of July 31st last year.
Officials told the court that she already had nine points on her licence prior to this speeding offence.
Watson did not attend her court hearing on Wednesday, where the court fined her £1,044 (approximately $1,400). According to BBC News, officials informed the court that she already had nine points on her license before the July speeding incident.
Her lawyer explained that Watson is currently studying at Oxford University and, despite being a student, “she is financially able to pay the fine.”
On the same day and in the same court as Watson’s case, officials also banned another Harry Potter actress, Zoe Wanamaker, from driving for six months due to a speeding offence.
Police caught Wanamaker, who portrayed Madam Hooch in the Harry Potter series, driving at 46mph in a 40mph zone on the M4 in Newbury, Berkshire, on August 7th, 2024.
The court fined the 76-year-old £1,044, matching Watson’s penalty, and imposed a six-month driving ban. Her lawyer, Duncan Jones, told the court that Wanamaker was not seeking “special treatment” and fully accepted the court’s decision.
Like Watson, Wanamaker had nine points on her licence before the speeding offence. District Judge Arvind Sharma added three more penalty points to both actresses’ licences, bringing them to the threshold for an automatic six-month disqualification.
