Most Harry Potter Stars Want J.K. Rowling Canceled, But Now One Is Defending Her
Evanna Lynch, Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, has spoken up in defense of JK Rowling, saying that the author wants to continue defending the most vulnerable in society.
While the controversy that surrounded JK Rowling and her tweets that were seen by some as transphobic may feel like it was a few years ago, the debate ignited again. Thanks to the release of the highly-anticipated and long-awaited Hogwarts: Legacy game, a movement online has begun to boycott the game to avoid supporting the author. In a world where supporting someone who doesn’t agree with you can be career suicide, Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch came out in support of Rowling, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Luna Lovegood actress spoke in support of JK Rowling in an interview with the Telegraph, where she spoke about her experience with the author. In the interview, she revealed that she always believed the Harry Potter creator had a specific goal to support and protect the most vulnerable. She went on to say that there is an ongoing argument over who is the most vulnerable and called for others to give her more grace and listen to her.
She isn’t the first actor from the franchise to support JK Rowling, as Helena Bonham Carter called cancel culture a witchhunt with a lack of understanding and Rowling’s specific treatment a load of bollocks. She went on to say that she spoke from her own experience and that people need to have compassion for the other side of trauma and experience, and Rowling was no different. Ralph Fiennes, who played the villainous Lord Voldemort, also spoke out in support of her, saying that her comments weren’t some uber-right-wing fascism; instead, she is a woman who wants to say she is a woman.
JK Rowling’s backlash is mainly in response to a string of tweets where she spoke out about the gender conversation, most famously when she disagreed with the phrase “people who menstruate.” She then went on to add that she felt the disappearance of gender served to invalidate the lived experiences of women everywhere. The tweets were met with a flood of backlash, including from some of her creation’s biggest stars.
Emma Watson, who became a global superstar while playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, has been one of the most ardent activists for women after the films wrapped. She most recently commented in a speech, when referred to being a witch instead of a feminist, said she was there for all witches. Of course, Twitter blew up after that with the assumption that the comments were a direct jab at J.K. Rowling.
Evanna Lynch coming out in support of the author does something else that is an interesting change of pace. In addition to Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter, Succession‘s Brian Cox also has supported her, calling her detractors high and mighty. It isn’t that hard to see that with the older actors supporting Rowling, and the younger actors like Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliff, and Rupert Grint criticizing her, it seems to be a generational difference. Evanna Lynch looks to be crossing the generational lines, a big step for JK Rowling.
