Evangeline Lilly is best known for her roles on Lost and Ant-Man and the Wasp, but recently, the actress reached a different level of notoriety when she revealed in an Instagram post that she refused to socially distance herself or her children during the coronavirus outbreak. To make matters worse, Lilly responded to comments by spreading conspiracy theories about “Marshall Law” robbing Americans of their freedoms, and she also revealed that she lives with her father who has “stage four leukemia,” which made her decision not to self-isolate all the more dangerous.
Lilly has since deleted and/or edited her original remarks, but not before becoming the target of other celebs like Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, who seemingly blasted the Marvel actress in a social media video for valuing her “freedom” over the lives of others. But, now, in a new Instagram post, Lilly has apologized for her remarks and emphasized that she is doing her part to flatten the curve by following the safety protocols for her small town:
I want to offer my sincere and heartfelt apology for the insensitivity I showed in my previous post to the very real suffering and fear that has gripped the world through COVID19. Grandparents, parents, children, sisters and brothers are dying, the world is rallying to find a way to stop this very real threat, and my ensuing silence has sent a dismissive, arrogant and cryptic message.
My direct and special apologies to those most affected by this pandemic. 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.
However, while Lilly seems to understand the gravity of her earlier remarks and does her best to explain the timeline and local directives that influenced her thinking, she is not fully abandoning her concern for the loss of freedoms:
I am concerned for our communities – small businesses and families living paycheck-to-paycheck – and I am trying to follow responsible recommendations for how to help. Like many of you, I fear for the political aftermath of this pandemic, and I am praying for us all.
You can read Evangeline Lilly’s full apology statement below: