Heavy/Disney+ A DWTS alum is making waves on the internet after an interview went viral.
Season 27 “Dancing With the Stars” semi-finalist Evanna Lynch has the internet in an uproar after she gave a rare interview with The Telegraph.
In the interview, the “Harry Potter” star defended author J.K. Rowling, saying that people should give her “grace.” Lynch’s comments come nearly three years after Rowling tweeted some things that appeared to be supportive of anti-transgender sentiments, according to People magazine. From there, Rowling penned a controversial blog post expressing her feelings on sex and gender issues.
For her part, Lynch, 31, said that she has felt that Rowling has done her best to “advocate for the most vulnerable members of society.” She went on to say, “The problem is that there’s a disagreement over who’s the most vulnerable. I do wish people would just give her more grace and listen to her.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Many Reddit Users Reacted to Evanna Lynch’s Comments on J.K. Rowling
Shortly after Lynch’s interview with The Telegraph was published, a number of other outlets picked up the news. After the story started to gain traction, several people took to Reddit to discuss Lynch’s comments.
“Celebs need to learn that defending a person who is accused of mistreating someone or a group just because they were great to you is not a good idea. AT ALL. Someone was nice to you? Good. But this isn’t the time to talk about that. You are basically taking over the voice of the wronged ones and doing them injustice,” one comment on a Reddit thread about the interview read.
“Why do Rowling’s defenders keep thinking we haven’t heard what she’s said? We’ve heard everything she’s said, that’s the problem,” read a comment on another thread.
“I’m a firm believer in freedom of speech. So this controversy isn’t a controversy to me. I will not stop loving Harry Potter or boycott it because the old bat who wrote it has an opinion about something,” a third person wrote.
“This girl will get canceled now, but I agree with her,” a fourth added.
Evanna Lynch Previously Spoke Out About J.K. Rowling
Lynch isn’t super well-known outside of the “Harry Potter” universe. In fact, she lives a relatively quiet life in the UK and rarely makes headlines.
In 2020, however, two years after her time on “Dancing With the Stars,” Lynch sent out a tweet about Rowling that caused controversy and ultimately saw her deleting her account altogether, according to Variety.
“It’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic,” she wrote, referring to transgender rights. “I wish [Rowling] wouldn’t. That said, as a friend and admirer of Jo I can’t forget what a generous and loving person she is,” she continued.
About a year later, Lynch released her first memoir titled “The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting.” The book details her “rise to fame” and her struggles with an eating disorder.
Lynch joined the “Harry Potter” series for its fifth installment, taking on the role of Luna Lovegood. In the time since the films wrapped, Lynch has done some other smaller projects, though nothing quite as substantial as her role in the “Potter” movies.
Lynch competed on DWTS with ballroom pro Keo Motsepe, finishing in third place on the 2018 finale. About a year later, a project that she worked on alongside Daniella Monet hit the market.
Kinder Beauty is a company that provides 100% vegan and cruelty-free beauty products by way of a subscription box. According to the company’s website, Lynch considers herself a “vegan activist.”
In January 2023, it was announced that Lynch would star in the off-West End production of “Under the Black Rock.”
“It’s been an extremely invigorating and stressful 3 weeks. The work and the energy and the heart they’ve all shown every day in rehearsals has inspired and pushed me so much. Got more than a bit overwhelmed by it all yesterday and went to that dark corner in my head, before I was reminded that I am one of a team and we all keep each other upright. I don’t think I’ve ever acknowledged to myself before how scary live theatre is, but something about this team has taught me to trust that there is support there when you ask for it,” she captioned an Instagram photo of the cast and crew on March 3, 2023.
The show is set to run through March 25, 2023.
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