Evangeline Lilly apologizes for 'dismissive' coronavirus comments
Evangeline Lilly has some regrets about those coronavirus comments.
The Ant-Man and Lost star came under fire last week after revealing she was refusing to self-quarantine during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, dismissing concerns over what she claimed was just "a respiratory flu" after sharing that she "just dropped my kids off at gymnastics camp." When users called her out in the comments, she wrote that "some people value freedom over their lives."
Lilly on Thursday issued a "sincere and heartfelt apology" for her "insensitivity," saying she has been practicing social distancing ever since it "was instituted in the small community where I am currently living" not long after her original post, although she still expressed "intense trepidation over the socioeconomic and political repercussions of this course of action."
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But Lilly acknowledged that she has "sent a dismissive" and "arrogant" message about the coronavirus crisis.
"My direct and special apologies to those most affected by this pandemic," Lilly said. "I never meant to hurt you. When I wrote that post 10 days ago, I thought I was infusing calm into the hysteria. I can see now that I was projecting my own fears into an already fearful and traumatic situation."
Among those who had called Lilly out was Maggie Grace, who played Shannon on Lost. Grace commented on Lilly's Instagram post, "Sure, it's a free country, but how about choosing to exercise some of that wonderful freedom to have some compassion, trust the extensive science here and not overwhelm [the] health system." Grace also wrote that their Lost co-star Daniel Dae Kim, who tested positive for COVID-19, is doing better, telling Lilly, "Maybe you guys wanna chat?"
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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