Meet Jacqueline Luesby, Emma Watson's Mom Who Never 'Babied' Her

Emma Watson's mother, Jacqueline Luesby, passionately pursued law and continued even after her daughter reached superstardom. She raised her children, Emma and her brother, Alex Watson, with love and just as much grit, a "fearsome" passion that Emma would later return in her teens.

Emma Watson grew up in a family of academics, including her parents, Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson. Though Jacqueline would separate from Chris not long after having their second child, her daughter followed in the family's academic footsteps, attaining her college education in the mid-2010s.

Before then, Jacqueline's daughter had received worldwide renown for starring as Hermoine Granger in the "Harry Potter" film franchise. In addition to modeling and eventually becoming a UN ambassador, the actress also starred in "Perks of Being a Wallflower," "The Circle," and more recently, "Little Women."

Apart from supporting Emma's endeavors, Jacqueline fostered a happy childhood for both her children, though it wasn't without its challenges. Still, despite the hiccups, she maintained a loving bond with her kids and a smooth co-parenting relationship with her ex-husband.

Jacqueline Luesby Is a Trained Lawyer and High-Achiever

Jacqueline was born in France's fashion capital, Paris, and is known for having impeccable style. She studied law at Oxford University in London, and although she was a high-achieving academic, she was also a talented hockey and table tennis player. Both sports would become Emma's favorite pastime as a child.

She met Chris (also a lawyer) while studying at Oxford, and the couple relocated to Paris, where they settled down. It's unknown when they married, but they welcomed their daughter on April 15, 1990. Three years later, they had Alex and lived happily, as Emma recalled. But by 1995, the couple had divorced amicably.

Jacqueline Luesby Equipped Emma Watson with Feminist Awareness

Jacqueline and Chris agreed on joint custody for Emma and Alex. They also decided their kids would stay with Jacqueline, who moved back to Oxford with the siblings following the divorce, and would visit their father every other weekend. Chris also moved to England but settled in London and opened a vineyard.

He later remarried and had more children, while Jacqueline found new love with someone else who was already a father of two. The former couple never allowed any "kids' stuff" for Alex and Emma and treated them "as adults." They weren't even allowed to order off the kids' menu in restaurants, as Emma once explained:

"I wasn't babied. I was expected to step up when I was told to."

Moreover, Chris expected to have adult-level conversations with his children, and Jacqueline was the one who dealt with the discipline. Still, although their unconventional approach to parenting was strict, it wasn't entirely restrictive. In 2010, Emma revealed she had her first glass of wine (with water) at seven.

She added that the excitement about alcohol in school always left her disinterested. When she won the role of Hermoine, Jacqueline advised her to maintain her old friendships, so people would like her for who she was, not her career. The mom of two made extensive efforts to ensure Emma saw her friends regularly.

Jacqueline also helped Emma overcome an insecurity she used to struggle with but later embraced: her eyebrows. Her daughter opened up about the experience in 2016, explaining, "[...] I desperately wanted to pluck them and make them two thin lines. [...] My mother desperately tried to tell me that they gave my face character, 'Don't be ashamed.'"

Jacqueline Luesby Had Conflicts with Her Daughter in Her Teens, but It's in the Past

Alex described them as "debates," though he admitted that the term he chose was a euphemism. Emma herself, who's reportedly dating Brandon Green, has confessed that she had a tendency to blow things out of proportion. However, it was an adolescent phase that passed, and the actress credited her family with keeping her grounded whenever she felt disconnected.

When Jacqueline's career began, she worked for Ernst and Young tax team in Paris before moving on to the Morgan Cole lawyers in Oxford and later becoming a senior manager for Smith Williamson's corporate tax team in 2007. This was contrary to Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe's parents, who left work to be fully involved in the early years of their children's acting careers.

Still, the solicitor supported Emma and maintained a loving bond with her. In 2017, she accompanied her daughter to the Women's March in Washington, D.C. When the Covid-19 pandemic saw lockdowns across the globe, Emma pledged to stay home for her grandmother, who was over 70, and Jacqueline, who'd been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.