Harry Potter fans were hit with some surprising news, and not the good kind, this week as it was reported that Emma Watson has retired from acting. The Hermione Granger actress has yet to announce this herself, but British tabloid The Daily Mail has shared that her agent told them that Watson’s career is “dormant” right now and she’s not taking on any new projects for the foreseeable future.
Watson, whose last released feature was Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Little Women, is said to be looking to settle down with her partner Leo Robinton, who she’s been in a relationship with since 2019. It’s believed that her and Robinton, an American businessman, are now engaged and are hoping to start a family together.
Obviously, fans wish all the best for Watson in her personal life, but she’s also a screen icon for a generation who’ve grown up alongside her across the Harry Potter movies and her other roles in the likes of Beauty and the Beast and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. And the result is that a lot of Twitter users are venting their emotions onto social media.
In fact, “heartbroken” is a word you’ll see going around a lot.
https://twitter.com/maddyydiehl/status/1364937284534104067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364937284534104067%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fepicstream.com%2Fnews%2FBriConstantino%2FHarry-Potter-Fans-are-Heartbroken-Over-Emma-Watson-Retirement-Rumors
emma watson is retiring i am well and truly heartbroken
— elisha (@dfwybcantwell) February 25, 2021
Is Emma Watson really retiring from acting? Im so heartbroken 😞
— 🤷🏻♀️ (@13_annabanana) February 25, 2021
Literally every HP fan.
https://twitter.com/scenetanaka/status/1364926339015393283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364926339015393283%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fepicstream.com%2Fnews%2FBriConstantino%2FHarry-Potter-Fans-are-Heartbroken-Over-Emma-Watson-Retirement-Rumors
Some people are having mixed feelings about the whole situation. It’s sad to hear we might not get any more movies starring Watson, at least for a while, but fans are proud of her for focusing on her happiness all the same.
https://twitter.com/lemqsters/status/1364610006067331075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364610006067331075%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fepicstream.com%2Fnews%2FBriConstantino%2FHarry-Potter-Fans-are-Heartbroken-Over-Emma-Watson-Retirement-Rumors
in all seriousness though – emma watson’s retirement is something super close to my heart, and i’m so upset that she’s announced she is no longer acting. i’m happy for her nonetheless.
— emi (@emilyjadeee__) February 25, 2021
Really shocked to hear about Emma Watsons retirement. She absolutely embodied Hermione for all 8 movies. I even liked her in Beauty and the Beast. I know Emma Watson will be magical at whatever she chooses to do. 🪄 ❤️ 💗
— potterfan7 (@potterfan71) February 25, 2021
Pretty much everyone’s reaction in a nutshell.
emma watson is retiring and yes im happy for her but i am heartbroken
— gublercore (@s4reid) February 25, 2021
Watson was catapulted into worldwide superstardom upon the release of the first Harry Potter film, The Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone, when she was just 11 years old. When consolidated, her movies have earned over $7 billion, making her one of the highest-grossing actresses on the planet. But it seems that at age 30, the British star is ready to step out of the limelight.