Emma Watson Says She Rejects the Word Single: ‘I Call It Being Self-Partnered’
Emma Watson may not be dating anyone at the moment, but she’s also not single.
The Little Women actress, 29, opened up to British Vogue for the December issue, speaking about the expectations placed on women, as well as the terminology she uses to refer to her current relationship status.
“I never believed the whole ‘I’m happy single’ spiel. I was like, ‘This is totally spiel,’ ” Watson said. “It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single].”
She added: “I call it being self-partnered.”
Watson — who previously dated Glee actor Chord Overstreet and tech manager William “Mack” Knight — said she landed on the term “self-partnered” after grappling with societal pressures placed on women when they turn 30, a birthday milestone she will reach in April.
“I was like, ‘Why does everyone make such a big fuss about turning 30? This is not a big deal …'” she said. “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.”
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The former Harry Potter star added: “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.”
In March 2017, Watson discussed her dating life with Vanity Fair, particularly how she tries to keep as much of it as private as possible, out of respect to her partner.
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“I want to be consistent: I can’t talk about my boyfriend in an interview and then expect people not to take paparazzi pictures of me walking around outside my home. You can’t have it both ways,” she said at the time. “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. I would hate anyone that I were with to feel like they were in any way part of a show or an act.”
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Watson got candid about her breakup from rugby player Matt Janney when talking to British Vogue in 2017, calling the experience “horrendous.”
“I felt really uncomfortable,” she said, “even before my relationship ended, I went on a silent retreat, because I really wanted to figure out how to be at home with myself.”
Later in that interview, Watson reflected on her previous relationships, saying: “The boyfriends or partners I’ve had have generally made me feel really cherished. They’ve built me up. I certainly haven’t found that with doing all that I do or being all that I am, that I’ve struggled in my love life.”
