Emma Watson Makes Rare Public Appearance at NBA All-Star Celebrity Game: She Was 'Very Low-Key,' Source Says (Exclusive)

02/15/2025 04:26 PM

The 'Harry Potter' actress was spotted holding homemade signs while cheering on musician and fellow Brown University alum Tucker Halpern at the game on Feb. 14

Emma Watson spent Valentine's Day taking in a little basketball.

The Harry Potter actress, 34, made a rare public appearance at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14. A source tells PEOPLE that Emma could be seen holding homemade signs while cheering on musician and fellow Brown University alum Tucker Halpern.

The source says Emma was "very low-key" and seemed "excited to be there."

In a TikTok video from the game shared by ESPN, the actress can be seen in casual black capris and a matching black crop top, with her hair worn down and styled in loose curls, as she waved to a friend and chatted with Halpern, 35.

@espn

#EmmaWatson at the NBA Celebrity Game! #hermoinegranger#harrypotter

♬ original sound - ESPN

The Beauty and the Beast star has taken a step back from the spotlight in recent years, even enrolling in a master's program in creative writing at Oxford University in September 2024.

"I'm just so glad that I [took a break from acting] 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," she said in a December 2023 interview with Vogue UK. 

Related: Emma Watson Says 'Rumors' About Her Career and Love Life Are 'Ways to Create Clicks'

She added: "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."

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The Little Womenactress also has been spending time on a new business venture, Renais Gin, a luxury gin brand she co-founded with her brother Alex Watson. 

"Emma's kind of at a place now where she is pursuing her creative endeavors more, and we kind of put our heads together and said, 'It'd be really nice to do this project.' [It] has a big sustainability lens, which is important to both of us," Alex, 32, told PEOPLE in September 2024.

Related: Emma Watson and Brother Alex Show Sibling Love on Soho House Awards Red Carpet – See the Photos!

"Ems has been in front of the camera since she was 9 and then filmed solidly, probably until the age of 25 through the Harry Potter films and then a couple of other projects," he continued, adding, "So, I think when you pause and take a moment and step outside of that, you can then start telling your own stories. And I think that's what Renais is for her."

The siblings' award-winning spirit, which is infused with natural botanicals like juniper berries, cubeb berries, Kimmeridgian stone, acacia honey, linden flower, grand cru grapes and more, is available in stores and online.