Harry Potter’s Evanna Lynch says cast ‘respect’ JK Rowling

Evanna Lynch has said the Harry Potter cast still “respect” JK Rowling despite many speaking out against her anti-trans views.

The Irish actor played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter franchise and recently took part in the HBO Max reunion special Return to Hogwarts.

She told GB News that her former cast mates had “strong beliefs”, but insisted Rowling hadn’t been given the “cold shoulder” by anyone.

“I think there’s things we don’t all agree with and don’t understand,” she said. “I talked to all the cast, they all have great love and respect for her even if they don’t agree with her beliefs.”

She continued: “I really strongly disagree with the narrative that there’s a rift.

“She has her beliefs, and she’s doing her thing.”

Lynch added that the cast “all have strong beliefs”, and that there has been a “very difficult conversation”.

She added that she wanted there to be “healing” and didn’t “want us to keep fighting”.

JK Rowling didn’t appear with members of the Harry Potter cast in the Return to Hogwarts special. Instead, the author was only seen in archive footage.

Rowling has become a controversial figure in recent years due to her comments on the lives of trans people.

In 2019, she voiced her support for a woman who pursued legal action to have “gender-critical views” protected under the UK Equalities Act.

The following year, in a June 2020 tweet, Rowling responded to an op-ed that discussed “people who menstruate”.

She heavily criticised the phrasing of the article and wrote: “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

After receiving waves of backlash, Rowling published a now-infamous essay on her website where she detailed her views on trans lives.

In it, she claimed she had “deep concerns” about the “effect the trans rights movement” was having on the “education and safeguarding” of children. She has denied allegations she is transphobic.

Her repeated comments have been condemned by the LGBT+ community, allies, Harry Potter fans, celebrities and even stars from the film franchise.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Eddie Redmayne, ​​Katie Leung and Chris Rankin have all shown their support for the trans community in the wake of Rowling’s comments.

In June 2020, Evanna Lynch applauded trans people for their “immense bravery” in “embracing themselves” and called for more kindness after Rowling’s “irresponsible” tweets.

She wrote in a message to fans: “I imagine that being trans and learning to accept and love yourself is challenging enough, and we as a society should not be adding to that pain.

“Feeling like you don’t fit in or aren’t accepted for who you are the worst, most lonely feelings a human can experience and I won’t be helping to marginalise trans women and men further.”

Lynch believed that she didn’t think Twitter was the “right place to have this very complex conversation”. She said it was “irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic” on social media “through fragmented thoughts” and wished Rowling “wouldn’t” do so.