Harry Potter star Emma Watson banned from driving after being caught speeding

Harry Potter star Emma Watson has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding. The actress, 35, attended High Wycombe Magistrates' Court as she admitted to speeding on Banbury Road, Oxford after going 38mph in 30mph zone. She had been driving a £30k Audi after she was caught on a speeding camera in July last year.

Despite her guilty plea, she opted for a full court hearing but did not attend the five-minute hearing. The court heard how Watson, who found fame as Hermione Granger in the film franchise, had already racked up nine points on her license for three previous offences. During the hearing, she was given three more points as well a driving ban. She was also ordered to pay a £650 fine, which was reduced after her guilty plea, as well as being given court costs of £120 and a £264 surcharge.

Watson did not attend the hearing and was represented in court by her lawyer, who said his client "fully understands her position and will accept her punishment". This is Watson's fourth misdeamonour in two years.

In February 2024, Watson's Audi was towed after she blocked a car park and ignored a 'no parking' sign to visit a pub with her mum, leaving a restaurant manager unable to leave his parking space for four hours.

At the time, Emma was enrolled in a creative writing course at the University of Oxford. However, reports suggest that she did not complete this and instead embarked on a PhD in Philosophy.

She became one of Hollywood's top-paid actresses after rising to superstardom as Hermione in all eight Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011.

Her most recent significant acting role was in 2019's Little Women, alongside Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet.

However, she took a step back from acting as she began a master's degree in creative writing in September 2023, before moving onto a three-year PhD programme in 2024.

Watson's Harry Potter co-star Zoe Wanamaker was also banned from driving for six months at High Wycombe after being caught speeding at 46mph in a 40mph on the M4 in Newbury, Berkshire in August 2024.

She also received the same fine as Watson, as she was ordered to pay £1,044 by the court. Wanamaker also had nine points on her license.