Why Daniel Radcliffe Said Dating Emma Watson Would Have Been ‘Something Really Incestuous'

The Harry Potter series captured the hearts of millions. Many in the massive fan base shipped Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in light of the characters they played on screen. However, Radcliffe put those dreams to rest, describing the idea of dating Watson as 'something really incestuous.' Radcliffe, then 19, asserted that their dating was never a possibility.

As per The Independent, reflecting on their time on set, the British actor explained, "There was a period when we were the only boys and girls any of us knew. And so, you know, we were all unbelievably horny from about the third film to probably about the end of the fifth. Then it all settled down. But, God, for a few years… There was never anybody I fancied that much in the cast, though the conspiracy theorists always like to say that me and Emma are dating. We know it'd be everything the fans ever wanted. I'm sorry guys, it's not happening. It's just not. There's something really incestuous about the idea of it."

A similar sentiment was echoed by Watson, who once revealed her discomfort filming a passionate kiss with Ruper Grint, who plays Ron Weasley. Speaking about the kiss in a 2012 interview, Watson elaborated, “We did the kiss two weeks ago, and it was the most horrible thing I've ever had to do. Not because Rupert isn't lovely, and there are millions of girls out there who would probably chop their left arm off to kiss him, but it just felt like incest. That's the only way I can describe it. The great thing about kissing is that you close your eyes, so it was fine when I was actually kissing him because I had my eyes closed. So I could not think about the fact that it was him. The worst bit is when we had to open our eyes and look at each other because then it was just like...we couldn't keep going,” as per Daily Mail.

During the HBO reunion special, Return to Hogwarts, both Watson and Grint reminisced about the infamous kiss. Watson said, “Obviously us kissing was the most horrifying thing either of us have ever had to go through…felt wrong…so much like siblings.” Radcliffe also confessed, “I did not make this better, because I've been told significantly that I was just being an absolute d**k about this and was like, 'I'm gonna come on set and watch you guys kiss. I'm sorry about that, guys.” 

Watson recalled, “Everyone wanted to be on set for it because everyone was like, 'This is gonna be good, guys.'” Grint concluded, “We’re family, we always will be...It’s a strong bond, we’ll always be part of each other’s lives. I love you…as friends.”