Evangeline Lilly walks back her previous Instagram post about the coronavirus, apologizing for the insensitivity of the message she shared. The COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the US in recent weeks, bringing the world of entertainment and society at large to a pause as public health officials work to encourage everyone to practice social distancing and slow the spread of the virus. Many are following the mandates and guidelines put out by relevant government authorities, but some are continuing to gather, unbothered by the possibility of getting sick or infecting others.
As the pandemic was deepening, Lilly took to Instagram to express her thoughts about the situation unfolding around her. The actress made it clear that her family's life was going to continue, as usual, emphasizing that "freedom" was more important to her than the social responsibility of self-isolating. She was immediately admonished for her defiant public stance by the world. Even her former Lost co-star, Maggie Grace, took the time to rebuke Lilly publicly.
After almost a week and a half of public criticism, Lilly finally took to Instagram to walk back her previous post. On Thursday afternoon, she posted for the first time since the criticized post, utilizing a picture of her family playing a board game. In the caption, she apologized for her initial post and explained the rationale behind her previous actions, citing the dates of public ordinances and her desire to follow them. Additionally, she stated that she has been socially distancing since March 18, which is when the policy was instituted in her community.
In admitting that she was "dismissive" and "arrogant," Lilly began the healing process for the many who were hurt by her comments. She stated that fear surrounding social distancing was part of the cause for her initial statements. Still, it may be hard for some to come to grips with her dismissal of a public health crisis when much of the entertainment industry is rallying together to fight the virus and help restore normalcy to the world as expediently as possible. Additionally, her former Lost co-star Daniel Dae Kim revealed a positive COVID-19 diagnosis on March 19, three days after Lilly's initial post. She has yet to make a statement about her former co-star's health status publically.
As the number of coronavirus cases and fatalities continue to rise in the United States and worldwide, more and more people are coming to understand the importance of social distancing and self-isolation in this right. While Evangeline Lilly's initial comments were insensitive and misinformed, coming around to the scientific perspective should convince her fans to follow suit and help flatten the curve of this virus.
Source: Evangeline Lilly/Instagram