Emma Watson Addresses Decades-Long Relationship Speculation With Harry Potter Co-Star Tom Felton

Want to know where Harry Potter co-stars Emma Watson and Tom Felton really stand? No need to wave a magic wand. Scroll on to see how she summarizes their bond.

By Elyse Dupre Oct 19, 2022 4:47 PMTags
Watch: Emma Watson & Tom Felton Address ROMANCE Rumors

No need for a lumos spell. 

Because Emma Watson is shining light on where she really stands with her Harry Potter co-star Tom Felton.

Many fans have shipped the duo ever since they learned of Watson's crush on Felton in the early days of their film franchise, in which she played Hermione Granger and he portrayed Draco Malfoy. While the actors have tried to sum up their tight bond before, Watson provided further insight in the foreword of Felton's new memoir Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.

"Like Tom, I always struggle to explain to people the nature of our connection and relationship," she wrote. "For more than twenty years now we've loved each other in a special way, and I've lost count of the times that people have said to me, 'You must have drunkenly made out, just once!' 'You must have kissed!' 'There must be something!'"

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The answer? "But what we have is far deeper than that," Watson continued. "It's one of the purest loves I can think of. We're soulmates, and we've always had each other's backs. I know we always will."

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In fact, the Little Women star noted it "makes me emotional" to think about their level of friendship.

"Sometimes it feels hard to live in a world where people are so quick to judge, to doubt, to question intentions. Tom doesn't do that," Watson continued. "I know that, even if I've made a mistake, he'll understand that my intention was good. I know that he'll always believe me. Even when he doesn't have the whole picture, he'll never doubt that I'm coming from a good place and will have done my very best. That's true friendship, and to be seen and loved like that is one of the greatest gifts of my life."

That said, the two didn't have a magical rapport right away. In fact, Watson admitted in the book that their "relationship didn't start well." However, they were able to grow a friendship, which Felton reflects on later in the book.

"I've always had a secret love for Emma, though not perhaps in the way that people might want to hear," he wrote. "That isn't to say there's never been a spark between us. There most definitely has, only at different times." 

While nothing romantic formed from that spark, they still have love for each other as friends.

"I don't think I was ever in love with Emma," Felton explained, "but I loved and admired her as a person in a way that I could never explain to anybody else."

To learn about the love lives of the Harry Potter stars, keep scrolling.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)

Daniel is currently in a relationship with actress Erin Darke, and the two welcomed a baby boy together in April. Daniel and Erin crossed paths while filming their 2013 movie, Kill Your Darlings.

"We met on the set...and just got on immediately. It was one of those instant things where you're like, 'Oh, I really like this person.' You just have a connection with somebody, and then suddenly it's incredibly easy to talk to them," Daniel said about their relationship in a 2014 interview with Parade. "It was one of those sort of situations."

Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)

Though Emma is very private about her love life, she was linked to rugby player Matthew Janney up until late 2014 and tech entrepreneur William "Mack" Knight for a stretch after that, a source telling The Sun in 2016, "Mack is just a normal, down-to-earth guy who has nothing to do with Hollywood, and Emma loves that." 

Linked to Glee's Chord Overstreet for several months in 2018, then tech CEO Brendan Wallace later that same year, she professed her love to someone new in a 2019 interview with British Vogue.

 "I never believed the whole 'I'm happy single' spiel," she told the magazine. "I was like, 'This is totally spiel.' It took me a long time, but I'm very happy. I call it being self-partnered."

Soon after her comments went viral, however, Emma was spotted kissing Leo Robinton in October 2019. 

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)

Rupert is another Harry Potter cast member that keeps his personal life on the down low, but he's been dating actress Georgia Groome on and off for years. The Daily Mail posted pictures of the duo at dinner in Los Angeles back in March 2017 and one lucky fan took a picture with Rupert at the premiere of Georgia's movie Double Date that October. Fast forward three years and they were welcoming their first child together in May 2020.

Six months later, Rupert joined Instagram and revealed his daughter's name in his first post

"Hey Instagram....only 10 years late, but here I am. Grint on the Gram!" the 32-year-old captioned a sweet photo. "Here to introduce you all to Wednesday G. Grint. Stay safe, Rupert."

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)

After meeting in January of the same year at a Celebration of Harry Potter event at Universal Orlando in July 2016, Matthew (a.k.a Neville Longbottom) and Angela Jones got engaged in December of that year. "They're both over the moon," his rep told E! News at the time. "They got together in July and hit it off straight away."

The couple tied the knot in Italy in May 2018

Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)

Tom Felton had been in a relationship with Jade Olivia since 2008, but the couple reportedly split in 2016. He and Harry Potter co-star Emma Watson briefly sparked romance rumors in 2018 and 2019, but nothing came to fruition between the former costars, much to fans' chagrin. 

Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)

The actress started dating singer-songwriter AnDel in 2017, but, according to their Instagram profiles, they have since parted ways.

Previously, she had an even more spellbinding relationship, dating actor Robbie Jarvis, who played Harry's dad James in Order of the Phoenix.

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)

Bonnie and Harry Potter co-star Jamie Campbell Bower got engaged in 2011, but split the following year.

In 2014, Bonnie opened up about her relationship with new boyfriend Simon Hammerstein, telling The Evening Standard at the time, "We got on really well. That's why we're still together. London's such a melting pot that you can always find lovely people. It's nice being with someone who respects the arts so we talk about everything together."

However, the pair called it quits in 2015 after several years together and Bonnie appeared single...until she posted a Christmas message on Instagram with boyfriend Andrew Lococo. They wed in 2022. Bonnie and Andrew announced in April that they are expecting their first child together.

Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown)

Jessie found love with comedian Alfie Brown. The couple welcomed children Donnie in 2014 and Margot in 2016. In 2020, they added Abraham to their family.

Jessie detailed her "slightly extreme" birth experience, later revealing both Abraham and Alfie contracted COVID-19. They later recovered.

"I watched the news about lockdown from an isolated room in hospital. Poor baby is covid positive," she captioned a photo of the little one in a hospital crib in January 2021. "He's okay and doing well but they are being vigilant and cautious, thankfully."

In 2022, Jessie and Abraham became a family of six, welcoming baby Becker.

Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan)

The actor welcomed his first child, son Cooper Michael Murray, with longtime girlfriend Shannon McCaffrey in February 2021.

"It still hasn't sunk in just yet that we have our very own little boy," the actor wrote in an Instagram post. "I can't wait to make the most amazing memories with Shannon and Cooper as we begin our little family. I'm so amazed by Shannon and she is now my Hero. I'm so proud of her for everything she has gone through. I can't wait to have you both home. It's so hard having to leave you both. I will love you both forever until my last breathe." 

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