Taking a break from film to pursue a master’s degree in creative writing, Watson has a reportedly ‘normal’ relationship with her fellow Oxford student, and not much has been revealed to the press
Emma Watson has long been admired for her versatile roles, from the fame-obsessed Nicki in 2013’s The Bling Ring to the seemingly superficial Meg in 2019’s Little Women. But it’s perhaps her most iconic portrayals – Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and Belle in Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast – that most clearly mirror her off-screen persona.
Emma Watson is best known for her roles in Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast. Photo: @emawatson.only/Instagram
Growing up with two lawyer parents, Watson placed a high value on learning. By the time she turned 19 and had already launched a successful acting career, she chose to pursue higher education at Brown University, where she earned a degree in English literature in May 2014. Nine years later, she enrolled at Oxford University to pursue a master’s degree in creative writing.
With a career spanning over two decades, the 34-year-old actress admits that stepping away from acting wasn’t easy.
Emma Watson at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011 in New York City. Photo: Getty Images
“Because I’m in a career that moves very quickly, the decision to take time to do these things felt like a very big decision,” she shared with British Vogue in December 2023. “[Choosing] to go back and write and study and get behind the camera was terrifying for me because I’d never done it before. I had always been in front of the camera; I’d always been an actor.”
Perhaps it was this unexpected detour and brief break from the spotlight that led her to her latest partner. Meet Kieran Brown, her rumoured boyfriend.
He is a PhD student at Oxford University
During her first year in Oxford’s creative writing programme, Watson met Kieran Brown, a PhD candidate specialising in 19th century literature and economics.
“Emma is studying creative writing, and his thesis is all about literary theory – so they have a lot to talk about. She looks so loved up with Kieran,” a source told The Sun, which first reported on Brown’s background.
This appears to be Watson’s first relationship since her split from Brandon Green, the son of business tycoon Sir Philip Green, whom she dated for about a year until 2023, according to Elle.
So far, Watson and Brown have been seen together on two occasions in July 2024: first, photographed sharing a kiss in Oxford, and later, at a bakery near the university.
“They were chatting together in the queue, they seemed to have quite a nice vibe,” an eyewitness shared with The Daily Mail.
He is unfazed by her celebrity status
Emma Watson with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint at a ceremony honouring the cast of Harry Potter at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in California, in 2007. Photo: Shutterstock
Amid the constant glitz of being an A-lister, it may be Brown’s lack of interest in her fame that Watson finds most refreshing. His lack of interest in her fame is something she reportedly appreciates.
“Kieran isn’t fazed by Emma’s fame in the slightest, which is what she likes about him most,” a source told OK! Magazine. “They do very normal things together, like grab coffee before class or cook dinner in their apartments.”
It’s unlikely Watson will reveal much about him
Despite the occasional paparazzi shot, fans are unlikely to hear much about Brown any time soon, as Watson has consistently emphasised her desire to keep her personal life private.
In a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, she spoke candidly about shielding her relationships from the public eye.
“I’ve noticed, in Hollywood, who you’re dating gets tied up into your film promotion and becomes part of the performance and the circus,” she explained. “I would hate anyone that I were with to feel like they were in any way part of a show or an act.”
