Although it didn’t get much media attention, it turns out that Sunday’s anti-warrant protest in Washington, DC, had some celebrity power.
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ star Evangeline Lilly – a model whose acting career took off when she appeared on the beloved TV series ‘Lost’ – attended the ‘Defeat the Mandates’ rally in the nation’s capital and talked about it on his own Instagram account on Thursday.
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“I believe no one should ever be forced to inject anything into their body, against their will…under any threat whatsoever,” she wrote to more than two million followers. “That’s not the way.”
She went on to say that such heavy-handed tactics are “unsafe” and “unhealthy”.
“It’s not love,” the Canadian celebrity continued. “I understand the world is afraid, but I don’t believe responding to fear with force will solve our problems.”
You can read Lilly’s full post below:
The actress, who plays superhero Hope van Dyne (or The Wasp) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also said she supports the so-called “Freedom Convoy”, a massive caravan of truckers traveling to Ottawa to express their opposition to the Canadian vaccination orders put in place by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has condemned the protesters as “marginal” for having “unacceptable views” on government overreach.
“I was in DC this weekend supporting Body Sovereignty as Canadian truckers gathered for their peaceful convoy across the country in support of the same,” Lilly wrote. “I believe that no one should ever be forced to inject anything into their body, against their will, under threat of: violent attack, arrest or detention without trial, loss of job, homelessness, starvation, loss of education, alienation from loved ones, excommunication from society… under any threat whatsoever.
She concluded her post by stating that she “was pro-choice before COVID” and remains so now.
This isn’t the first time Lilly has spoken out about the state of our society in the age of COVID-19. In March 2020, when government restrictions were first enacted, she took to Instagram Live to discuss valuing “freedom” above perceived safety.
At the time, she revealed she was taking her children to gymnastics camp, noting that they were aware of the pandemic – washing their hands frequently – but were not living in isolation.
“I have two young children,” she said, InStyle reported. “Some people value their lives more than freedom. Some people value freedom above their lives. We all make our choices.”
“Overhaul. Immediate.”
Predictably, the backlash against Lilly was quick.
Film Critic Pramit Chatterjee urged the MCU to “immediately” recast the character of Lilly.
“There are many more talented (and sane) actors who can take their place [and] make the set a safe space,” he wrote, also condemning “Black Panther” star Letitia Wright, for her reported skepticism of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Another social media user commented“We can’t have good science heroines in the MCU.”
“Evangeline Lilly is into Marvel movies and apparently she’d rather be stuck in a production of Steel Magnolias at the Waco Playhouse with Kristy Swanson and Gina Carano,” added Louis Virtel from Crooked Media.
There were many, however, who came to Lilly’s defense:
Did Evangeline Lilly say anything about the vaccine itself or did she just oppose the mandate because if it’s the latter the talk around it isn’t just stupid by normal standards, but also by the standards of the stupid people who indulge in it.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) January 27, 2022
God bless this brave and charming lady. @EvangelineLilly . https://t.co/qMbdBPGl8Y
— INSURRECTIONAL FILM AND TV STAR Nick Searcy (@yesnicksearcy) January 27, 2022
Evangeline Lilly is right. Everyone deserves the opportunity to make an informed choice – without resorting to force, coercion or manipulation – about what goes into their body. It shouldn’t be controversial.
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) January 27, 2022
She’ll face the wrath of the Hollywood groupthink crowd for this, but many quietly agree with her and are just too scared to make a noise. @EvangelineLilly https://t.co/SshZbt76c7
— Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) January 28, 2022
A story of faith
It should be noted that Lilly – known for her role in “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” – is said to have been raised by devout Christian parents. In fact, as a teenager, she took a three-week mission trip to the Philippines.
In 2013, she told ABS-CBN News (not affiliated with CBN News) that she lived in Palawan for nearly a month, describing the trip as “a wonderful experience.”
“Palawan, in particular, was so beautiful, isolated and untouched,” she said. “The tribal people we stayed with were so incredibly generous, hospitable and kind.”
Lilly’s father was a grocery store food manager and her mother ran a day care center out of the family home. His parents were Mennonites and Baptists, according to Rolling Stoneand Lilly even taught Sunday School for nearly a decade before working briefly as a flight attendant.
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