Real-Life Celebrity Divorce Reference in Harry Potter Books Nobody Noticed
Bet you missed this Easter egg.
The British pop culture scene is an extremely cramped space, with many celebrities having worked on various projects together and often having personal relationships with one another. Naturally, this creates ample behind-the-scenes drama and makes hunting for Easter eggs, which reference real-life relationships within fictional works, all the more enjoyable.
While Harry Potter is laden with myriad references, there's one that often eludes even the most astute fans, and it's linked to the film franchise as well.
Where Is The Easter Egg Hiding?
In the early chapters of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry is scared of Voldemort's return and worries about an impending war. Cut off from the wizarding world's news, he's left to follow Muggle broadcasts, keenly observed by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. After all, if Voldemort were to return, Muggles would undoubtedly take notice.
Enter a tidbit about a celebrity divorce.
‘A famous actress's divorce from her famous husband ("as if we're interested in their sordid affairs," sniffed Aunt Petunia, who had followed the case obsessively in every magazine she could lay her bony hands on).’
Given the book's 1995 setting, it's likely that this alludes to a real-life scandal from that time: the divorce of Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh.
What Happened?
The 1995 divorce ended their six-year marriage and was attributed to Branagh's alleged affair with Helena Bonham Carter, his co-star in 1994's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Thompson later admitted that Branagh had a tendency to become romantically involved with co-stars, and she was heartbroken when she discovered his affair. Thankfully, her subsequent marriage to actor Greg Wise, which began in 2003, has been a happy one. As for Carter and Branagh, their relationship lasted until 1999, after which they both married other people.
What Does This Have To Do With The Harry Potter Series?
All three individuals embroiled in this real-life drama had significant roles in the iconic franchise. Kenneth Branagh portrayed the self-absorbed Gilderoy Lockhart. Emma Thompson took on the role of the quirky Divination Professor, Sybil Trelawney. And Helena Bonham Carter played the sinister Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange.
Interestingly, despite their prominence in the series, the trio never appeared in a scene together, perhaps in a nod to their off-screen history.