Harry Potter star Emma Watson receives 6-month driving ban for speeding

By Minh Nga July 16, 2025 | 08:09 pm PT

Actor Emma Watson poses at the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea Party in Los Angeles, California, Jan. 6, 2018. Photo by Reuters

Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series, has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding in the U.K. last year.

The 35-year-old actress was recorded driving at 38 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone in Banbury, a town in southeast England, while operating her Audi on July 31, 2023, CBS News reported.

Watson did not attend the court hearing, but was fined £1,044 (US$1,400). In addition to the fine, the judge endorsed three more penalty points on her driving license.

According to CNN, the court was informed that Watson already had nine points on her license before the incident.

In the U.K., drivers who accumulate 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period are subject to a driving ban. As a result, the latest offense brought Watson's total to 12 points, triggering the six-month suspension.

A student at Oxford University, Watson is confirmed by her lawyer to be financially capable of paying the fine.