Emma Watson resurfaces in thigh-split lace dress after quitting 'soul-destroying' Hollywood

Emma Watson has officially shed her image as the child star of the Harry Potter franchise, stepping out in Los Angeles in a daring thigh-split dress as she attended an after-party for the 2026 Academy Museum Gala at Chateau Marmont.

The actress and activist, who rose to fame as Hermione Granger at the age of 11, has largely stepped back from mainstream Hollywood since starring in 2019's Little Women. Instead, she has been prioritising her literary pursuits, undertaking a Master's in creative writing at Oxford after graduating from Brown University with a degree in English literature in 2014.

Making a rare return to the spotlight, Emma commanded attention in a sultry, sheer-backed lace gown featuring a slash up the side to expose a fringed mini skirt. She covered the sheer lace back with a shawl draped over her shoulders, and completed her look with platform heels.

Her caramel-blonde hair looked sleek in a straight style that fell past her shoulders, in stark contrast to the frizzy curls her character was known for in the eight-part film series that brought JK Rowling's books to life. 

Why Emma Watson retreated from the spotlight

Following her A-levels in 2008, the then-18-year-old actress celebrated by investing in a $1.2 million luxury chalet in the 1,450m-high ski resort, Meribel.

Emma is believed to be a very competent skier, so her French base – which also connects to Courchevel and Val Thorens – offers the perfect winter retreat, especially since the area is known as a hot-spot for celebrities to holiday under-the-radar.

Even when she's not holidaying in Europe, Emma has stepped back from the spotlight. While she has praised her experience of working in the film industry, she admitted she found trying to promote her movies "soul-destroying."

The star confessed she is "maybe the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been" in an interview with Hollywood Authentic.

"The bigger component than the actual job itself is the promotion and selling of that piece of work, this piece of art. The balance of that can get quite thrown off.

"I think I’ll be honest and straightforward, and say: I do not miss selling things. I found that to be quite soul-destroying. But I do very much miss using my skill set, and I very much miss the art. I just found I got to do so little of the bit that I actually enjoyed."