Is Self-Partnered the New Term For Single? TAMARA TRUE

Is self-partnered the new term for ‘single’?

There’s a new word in town and it’s called ‘self-partnered.’

Hold up. Say what now?

Keep calm, fam. Yes. Self-partnered is an alternative for the word single as a relationship status. It was popularized by Emma Watson in a November 2019 interview with Vogue.

In a cover story for the British Vogue December issue and published in part on November 4, 2019, Watson told Paris Lees that she calls her unfettered relationship status, “self-partnered”.

The Beauty and the Beast star noted pressures she feels women face to have a home, spouse, family, and stable career by this age.

She says,

“Cut to 29, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I feel so stressed and anxious,” said Watson. “And I realize it’s because there is suddenly this bloody influx of subliminal messaging around. If you have not built a home, if you do not have a husband, if you do not have a baby, and you are turning 30, and you’re not in some incredibly secure, stable place in your career, or you’re still figuring things out… There’s just this incredible amount of anxiety.”

Commenting on her own relationship status as single, Watson said,

“I never believed the whole ‘I’m happy single’ spiel. I was like, ‘This is totally spiel.’ It took me a long time, but I’m very happy [being single]. I call it being self-partnered.”

Despite insisting she is happy being ‘self-partnered’, Emma – who rose to fame as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise – was spotted kissing a mystery man outside a London bakery two weeks ago.

In August, it was rumored she was dating former Harry Potter co-star, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, as they shared pictures together from a sun-soaked holiday in South Africa. She has also been linked to people in the past – including Glee actor Chord Overstreet.

Reaction

As expected, there was an outcry on social media. Comedian David Baddiel, 55, made a very crude joke on Twitter.

Using the star’s term, David wrote: “Emma Watson says she’s self-partnered. So am I. Often more than once a day. Not bad at my age.”

Many of his 627,100 followers commented on his post, approving of David’s cheeky sense of humor.

One person wrote: “I’m also self partnered. I’m suing for divorce.”

David wasn’t the only one to mock Emma’s “self-partnered” phrase, as Britain’s Misogynist-in-Chief Piers Morgan mocked her and said she “can’t get a bloke” on Good Morning Britain.

After showbiz presenter Richard Arnold brought up Emma’s new phrase, Piers cheekily said: “That sounds like one of those things… well, we don’t need to go into detail.”

He added: “Self-partnering means you can’t get a bloke right?”

However, Piers’ co-host, Susanna Reid, appeared shocked at his remark and chimed in: “Emma can have whoever she wants!”

Piers concluded: “What does it mean, It’s rubbish.”

The term “self-partnered” caught fire on Twitter.com and sparked debate between single ladies and married people who say being single is overrated.

Some think it’s a wonderful way of saying, ‘I’m focusing on me and improving my relationship with myself’. Self-care at its finest.

Others have said it’s the most “stupid” word to have come from Celeb-Land since Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s “conscious uncoupling” in 2014.

One tweet read, “Maybe it’s because when you tell someone you’re single, the automatic assumption is that you’re actively looking for a partner, so by saying self-partnered you’re making it clear that you’d actually rather be on you’re own right now?”