Emma Watson recalled being 'violated' by paparazzi on her 18th birthday because she was ‘legal’

Eighteenth birthdays are supposed to be a rite of passage for teenagers, as they cross over the legal threshold and become adults.

It's meant to be a memorable time of celebration, fun and legal drinking. But for Emma Watson, her milestone birthday was not enjoyable in the slightest - thanks to the paparazzi.

Watson rose to worldwide fame for playing the role of Hermione Granger in the beloved Harry Potter series, which spanned eight films released between 2001 and 2011.

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As the world watched Watson and her costars grow up onscreen, Watson found herself grappling with the difficulties that come with maturing in the public eye.

The Harry Potter star, who has been outspoken on gender equality issues for many years, reflected on her younger experiences at a feminist event.

Speaking at a HeForShe launch event in 2016, the 33-year-old actor reminisced on her eighteenth birthday.

BBC

Watson said: "I mean, I was obviously a child actress who is still making a transition, and I remember on my 18th birthday, I came out of my 18th birthday party and photographers lay down on the pavement and took photographs up my skirt, which were then published on the front of the English tabloids the next morning.

"If they published the photographs 24 hours earlier they would have been illegal but, because I turned 18, they were legal."

Reflecting on the incident in 2009, the then-18-year-old said in an interview: "I realised that overnight I'd become fair game.

"One photographer lay down on the floor to get a shot up my skirt ... The night it was legal for them to do it, they did it. I woke up the next day and felt completely violated by it all."

Warner Bros.

When speaking about her feminist activism in 2014 as the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in New York, Watson said: "I’m a feminist because I’ve known sexism since I was eight years old."

The practice of 'upskirting' - where a person takes a photograph up a woman's skirt - has been a crime since 2019, approximately eleven years after Watson fell victim to it.

Offenders can face up to two years in jail and be placed on the sex offenders register.

Previously, the offence could be punished under the offence of Outraging Public Decency, but campaigners pressed that this didn't cover all cases.

Under the Voyeurism Act, which came into effect in April 2019, perpetrators can be criminally charged for taking photos for the purpose of sexual gratification.

It also covers incidents where the photos were taken 'for a laugh' and even applies to paparazzi taking intrusive photos of celebrities.