Evanna Lynch first played Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). It was her first professional role and a dream come true for many kids. Lynch had already had a history with the book series and Rowling herself.
Lynch had started reading the series at eight years old and it, alongside having the author herself as a pen pal, became one of the strongest driving factors for her to continue fighting the eating disorder she suffered from.
“I was in and out of the hospital, and I would be getting these letters,” Lynch said via Insider. “…her books and her kindness really made me want to live again.”
Soon, Lynch discovered the casting call of Luna Lovegood, a character she became infatuated with after reading Order of the Phoenix. She was cast and appeared in all of the following films.
Since the series ended, Rowling has caught a lot of steam from fans, activists, and people around the world from repeated comments about trans people.
In 2020, Rowling referenced an opinion article about creating an equal world for people who menstruate.
Rowling doubled down on her comments, claiming to love trans people but simultaneously claiming that “erasing the concept of sex removes the ability to many to meaningfully discuss their lives.” Rowling later wrote The Black Ink Heart (2022), a story about an investigation of the death of a YouTuber accused of being racist and transphobic by her fans and subsequently “canceled.”
Many former Harry Potter stars, including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, have supported trans people after Rowling’s tweets.
When Lynch tweeted, “I won’t be helping to marginalize trans women and men further… I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter through fragmented thoughts, and I wish Jo wouldn’t… That said, as a friend and admirer of Jo, I can’t forget what a generous and loving person she is.”
In an interview with The Telegraph, Lynch addressed the now-deleted tweets and controversy.
“I was very naive when I was dragged into that conversation,” Lynch said. “I didn’t even know there were two sides. I had a view of, like, good and the bad. I do have compassion for both sides of the argument. I know what it was like to be a teenager who hated my skin and body so much I wanted to crawl out of my skin, so I have great compassion for trans people, and I don’t want to add to their pain.”
Lynch talked about understanding how conversations can be “triggering” and how she thinks Rowling must have been “amplifying the voices of detransitioners,” even if it’s an uncomfortable subject.
According to The Telegraph, Lynch said she will “always defend her (Rowling) character.”
“These books formed me, and JK Rowling inspired me. She inspires me still.”
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