Emma Watson has opened up about the “anxiety” she has felt in the past to settle down and start a family.
The Harry Potter star, who is often outspoken about her views on gender equality, spoke candidly in a previous chat with Teen Vogue about how women can feel societal pressure to hit certain milestones.
“In the run-up to my 30s, [I felt] this incredible, sudden anxiety and pressure that I had to be married or have a baby or move into a house,” Emma, 33, said.
Emma Watson wearing a white sleeveless shirt with an oversized collar and pink trousers© Getty
Emma Watson
“And there was no word for this kind of subliminal messaging and anxiety and pressure that I felt building up but couldn’t really name, so I used the word self-partnered.”
The Perks of Being a Wallflower actor’s decision to brand herself as “self-partnered” sparked some commentary online, to which she responded: “For me, it wasn’t so much about coining a word; it was more that I needed to create a definition for something that I didn’t feel there was language for.
“And it was interesting because it really riled some people up! It was less for me about the word but more about what it meant — just this idea that we need to reclaim language and space in order to express ourselves because sometimes it’s really not there.”