Emma Watson has mostly been out of the public eye for the past seven years, making rare one-off appearances once every few months. However, 2026 has been looking quite different.
Not only has she confirmed a public romance with Mexican billionaire heir and tech CEO Gonzalo Hevia Baillères, but he just made a super-rare outing to a pre-Oscars bash. In case you missed it, earlier this week, the Harry Potter alum attended the W Magazine and Dior-hosted intimate dinner ahead of the Academy Awards at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills, Calif.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Emma Watson attends as W Magazine and Dior host intimate dinner ahead of the Academy Awards at Mr Chow on March 12, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for W Magazine)
For the event, she donned a chic gray and black two-piece look, posing with stars like Macaulay Culkin, Priyanka Chopra, Tracee Ellis Ross, and more! This rare Oscars appearance has many wondering if she’s set to return to acting full-time again.
Now, after appearing in 2019’s Little Women, Watson appeared in a 2022 short called Prada Paradoxe. However, besides that, Watson has focused on her education, rather than her acting; and she doesn’t regret the decision.
“I’m just so glad that I did,” she told British Vogue. “Because I have this feeling of having my own voice and creative space and sovereignty in some way that I don’t think I did before—more autonomy. I’m so glad that I allowed things to be messy for a minute and to really allow myself to not know [what’s next], because the knowing that I’ve come to, I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
Unexpected Team-Up: Prince William and Emma Watson Unite for Change
Prince William had plenty to celebrate this weekend, but his latest public appearance quickly turned heads for a very different reason. After marking his 44th birthday and Father's Day with his family, the future king returned to royal duties—and made a surprisingly personal confession about the emotional toll of climate change.
William joined Hollywood stars Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch at a United for Wildlife forum in London, an initiative he launched with the Royal Foundation in 2013. The organization works around the world to combat wildlife trafficking, environmental crime, and the destruction of endangered species.
But it was William's candid admission about his own fears that stole the spotlight.
The Prince of Wales revealed that climate change has caused him "sleepless nights," admitting he has struggled with anxiety about what the future could look like. Yet instead of allowing those fears to overwhelm him, William said seeing real progress through conservation efforts has helped keep his environmental anxiety under control.
He also delivered a powerful message to business leaders, urging them to become the kind of leaders they admired when they were children. With technology and innovation transforming the world at an incredible pace, William challenged CEOs to use their influence to create meaningful change.
The event launched London Climate Action Week, with more royal appearances expected, including the Earthshot Prize assembly.
Emma Watson also delivered a surprising revelation of her own. The Harry Potter star highlighted the fashion industry's enormous environmental impact, pointing out that it produces more emissions than aviation and ranks behind only oil among major polluting industries.
Watson, who is also pursuing a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford, shared a hilarious story about mistakenly believing paparazzi were following her. After spotting photographers with telephoto lenses, she arranged a distraction and escaped through another exit. The twist? They weren't photographing her at all. They were waiting to capture a red kite.
Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch praised William as "a great guy" and urged businesses and individuals to recognize that they can still make a difference, even when global environmental challenges appear overwhelming.
With William, Watson, and Cumberbatch joining forces on the issue, the London forum delivered a clear message: the fight against environmental destruction is becoming impossible for the world's biggest names to ignore.
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