Emma's Found Herself in Legal Trouble

Usually, if you hear that Emma Watson is in the news, it's because she has graduated from an Ivy League school or is doing a really good job at keeping her relationship private or wore a perfectly flawless ensemble. You know, super classy stuff. But this time that is not the case. Reportedly, Emma Watson is being investigated for illegally employing her housekeeper. But she didn't do it on purpose, right? Right?!?!!

According to The Independent, "Immigration officials are investigating claims that Emma Watson’s American housekeeper could have worked for her illegally in the UK." The housekeeper is said to have started working for Watson at her New York apartment in early 2013. Allegedly, when Watson moved back to London, her housekeeper came with her on a tourist visa and spent time working between September 2013 and February 2014. A tourist visa prohibits a visitor in the country from working, so that's where the legal problems come in.

The housekeeper was reportedly stopped by UK immigration staff who asked how she intended to pay for her stay in the country. It seems immigration was specifically alerted to the issue. As The Independent reports, "Border Agency officials started the probe after they received a complaint that she was paid to aid the actress at her home in Islington and subsequently travelled to London on and off."

If found guilty of illegally employing her housekeeper, Watson could be fined up to $17,000, but according to the Daily Mail, "Employers can avoid being prosecuted or fined a civil penalty if they can show they did everything possible to check the immigration status of a worker."

It's hard to imagine that Watson would do this on purpose — admittedly this is based entirely on the fact that she's seems smart and honest — but if she did, fortunately for her, she probably does have an extra $17K lying around.