From the moment she first portrayed Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film franchise, Emma Watson has served as an inspiration for her fans. While Hermione’s romantic life has somehow still been a topic of conversation in the years since the franchise wrapped, Watson reportedly has a different outlook on relationship statuses. In a recent interview with British Vogue, Watson spoke about her insecurities and anxieties towards getting older and shed some light on her outlook towards not being in a relationship. As the actress and activist put it, she’s become content with being single, and refers to it as “being self-partnered”.
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“I never believed the whole ‘I’m happy single’ spiel,” Watson revealed. “I was like, ‘This is totally spiel.’ It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single]. I call it being self-partnered.”
“I was like, ‘Why does everyone make such a big fuss about turning 30? This is not a big deal…’” Watson said of the societal expectations put on women her age. “Cut to 29, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I feel so stressed and anxious. And I realize it’s because there is suddenly this bloody influx of subliminal messaging around. If you have not built a home, if you do not have a husband, if you do not have a baby, and you are turning 30, and you’re not in some incredibly secure, stable place in your career, or you’re still figuring things out… There’s just this incredible amount of anxiety.”
Watson’s “self-partnered” comment has garnered quite a lot of attention online, with quite a few fans of the actress embracing the concept of the term. To an extent, it can easily be argued that deeming yourself “self-partnered” as opposed to “single” removes the assumption that you are actively looking for a romantic partner and the subsequent stigmas that surround that. The comment has also drawn a fair share of backlash and ire, including multiple comparisons to Gwyneth Paltrow labeling her divorce as a “conscious uncoupling.”
The topic of relationships and romantic contentment is set to play a role in Watson’s latest film, the Greta Gerwig-directed adaptation of Little Women.
“With Meg’s character, her way of being a feminist is making the choice – because that’s really, for me anyway, what feminism is about,” Watson explained. “Her choice is that she wants to be a full-time mother and wife. To Jo [Saoirse Ronan], being married is really some sort of prison sentence. But Meg says, ‘You know, I love him [John Brooke, who is played by James Norton] and I’m really happy and this is what I want. And just because my dreams are different from yours, it doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.”
What do you think of Watson’s “self-partnered” comments? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
(Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
