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Emma Watson has spoken about the response she received when she called herself “self-partnered” while also discussing how she has become “slightly fascinated by kink culture” due to the level of communication involved.
Last year, Watson was interviewed by transgender rights activist Paris Lees for the November issue of British Vogue.
During the interview, the Little Women star said that she felt “very happy” being single, adding that she describes it as “being self-partnered”.
The 29-year-old’s statement prompted a flurry of responses from fans, many of whom said her comment made them feel “empowered”.
However, others took a less positive approach to her terminology, something that Watson touched upon during a recent conversation with author Valerie Hudson.
Earlier this month, Watson and Hudson — who wrote the book Sex and World Peace — spoke on the phone about topics including the #MeToo movement, gender equality and traditional views on relationships.
During their conversation, which was published by Teen Vogue on Tuesday 31 March, Watson explained that as she approached her 30s, she experienced an “incredible, sudden anxiety and pressure that I had to be married or have a baby or moving into a house, and there was no word for this kind of subliminal messaging and anxiety and pressure that I felt building up”.
“So I used the word ‘self-partnered’,” she stated. “For me it wasn’t so much about coining a word; it was more than I needed to create a definition for something that I didn’t feel there was language for.”
Watson said that her coining of the term “self-partnered” was “really 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.”
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1/10 Emma Watson
During a 2011 Interview with Vogue, actor Emma Watson opened about her failures. 'I don’t want the fear of failure to stop me from doing what I really care about,' she told the publication.
Getty
2/10 Michael Jordan
In a 2006 Nike commercial titled 'Failure', basketball star Michael Jordan shared his low moments during his sporting career. 'I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career,' the sportsman said in the clip. 'I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.'
Getty Images
3/10 Oprah Winfrey
TV presenter and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey talked about failure in her 2013 Harvard Commencement address. 'There is no such thing as failure,' she told the audience. 'Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.'
Getty Images
4/10 Taylor Swift
Singer Taylor Swift spoke to her audiences during her 2013-14 'Red Tour' about how to have the confidence to keep fighting for succcess. 'Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again… even though every time you’ve tried before you’ve lost.' she told her fans.
Getty Images for NARAS
5/10 Malala Yousafzai
Women’s education activist Malala Yousafzai spoke about the importance of standing up for what you believe in during an ABC interview in 2013. The 22-year-old said: 'I think life is dangerous. Some people get afraid of it. Some people don’t go forward. But some people, if they want to achieve their goal, they have to go, they have to move.'
Getty Images
6/10 Beyoncé
In ‘“Self-titled”: Part 2. Imperfection’, a mini-documentary posted by the singer on YouTube in 2013, Beyoncé opened up about the importance of failing in life. 'The reality is, sometimes you lose,' she said. 'And you’re never too good to lose, you’re never too big to lose, you’re never too smart to lose, it happens. And it happens when it needs to happen. And you have to embrace those things.'
Getty Images for Coachella
7/10 J.K. Rowling
In a 2008 Harvard Commencement address about the benefits of failure and the importance of imagination, author J.K Rowling stated: 'It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default. Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations.'
Getty Images
8/10 Hillary Clinton
Ending her 2008 campaign for US President, former Senator and Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reflected on her journey. 'Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in,' she said. 'And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.'
Getty Images
9/10 Maya Angelou
The late American poet is widely believed to have once stated: 'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.'
Getty Images
10/10 Sandra Bullock
Actor Sandra Bullock shared her reflections on her fears in an interview with the Express in 2013. 'I was afraid of being a failure, of not having the best time or of being chicken,' she told the publication. 'But every year I get older I think, "what was I fearing last year?" you forget. And then you move on.'
Getty Images
1/10 Emma Watson
During a 2011 Interview with Vogue, actor Emma Watson opened about her failures. 'I don’t want the fear of failure to stop me from doing what I really care about,' she told the publication.
Getty
2/10 Michael Jordan
In a 2006 Nike commercial titled 'Failure', basketball star Michael Jordan shared his low moments during his sporting career. 'I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career,' the sportsman said in the clip. 'I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.'
Getty Images
3/10 Oprah Winfrey
TV presenter and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey talked about failure in her 2013 Harvard Commencement address. 'There is no such thing as failure,' she told the audience. 'Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.'
Getty Images
4/10 Taylor Swift
Singer Taylor Swift spoke to her audiences during her 2013-14 'Red Tour' about how to have the confidence to keep fighting for succcess. 'Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again… even though every time you’ve tried before you’ve lost.' she told her fans.
Getty Images for NARAS
5/10 Malala Yousafzai
Women’s education activist Malala Yousafzai spoke about the importance of standing up for what you believe in during an ABC interview in 2013. The 22-year-old said: 'I think life is dangerous. Some people get afraid of it. Some people don’t go forward. But some people, if they want to achieve their goal, they have to go, they have to move.'
Getty Images
6/10 Beyoncé
In ‘“Self-titled”: Part 2. Imperfection’, a mini-documentary posted by the singer on YouTube in 2013, Beyoncé opened up about the importance of failing in life. 'The reality is, sometimes you lose,' she said. 'And you’re never too good to lose, you’re never too big to lose, you’re never too smart to lose, it happens. And it happens when it needs to happen. And you have to embrace those things.'
Getty Images for Coachella
7/10 J.K. Rowling
In a 2008 Harvard Commencement address about the benefits of failure and the importance of imagination, author J.K Rowling stated: 'It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default. Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations.'
Getty Images
8/10 Hillary Clinton
Ending her 2008 campaign for US President, former Senator and Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reflected on her journey. 'Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in,' she said. 'And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.'
Getty Images
9/10 Maya Angelou
The late American poet is widely believed to have once stated: 'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.'
Getty Images
10/10 Sandra Bullock
Actor Sandra Bullock shared her reflections on her fears in an interview with the Express in 2013. 'I was afraid of being a failure, of not having the best time or of being chicken,' she told the publication. 'But every year I get older I think, "what was I fearing last year?" you forget. And then you move on.'
Getty Images
While in conversation with Hudson, Watson also spoke about the importance of being open in relationships, outlining how in her view, “relationships that don’t necessarily follow traditional models require more communication and consent”.
“It requires an actual conversation and agreement about the delegation of tasks and labour and responsibilities that maybe you don’t feel that you need to have or should have if you follow those traditional stereotypes,” the activist said.
“The idea that relationships are supposed to be easy and it’s all supposed to be implicitly understood, and you’re just meant to get each other, it’s bulls***! It’s impossible!”
Watson added that in her experience, many of the “healthiest relationships” she has witnessed “have been between same-sex couples because, I think, they have to sit down and agree [on] things”.
“They agree [on] things between them as opposed to [accepting] certain sets of assumptions and expectations that are made,” she said.
The Harry Potter star added that she has “become slightly fascinated by kink culture” due to the degree of communication that is utilised.
“They are the best communicators ever. They know all about consent,” Watson said.