'Harry Potter' Star Denounces Cancel Culture, Defends J.K. Rowling

Evanna Lynch, the actress who played Luna Lovegood in the "Harry Potter" films, defended J.K. Rowling's right to freedom of speech during a recent interview.

Rowling has become an increasingly controversial figure in some culture areas after forcefully speaking out to defend biological sex.

Efforts to "cancel" works associated with Harry Potter have become so extensive that video game reviewers targeted "Hogwarts Legacy." Despite the game not featuring Potter at all.

READ: HOGWARTS LEGACY VIDEO GAME GIVEN 1/10 REVIEW DUE TO LACK OF ‘QUEER’ EMPLOYEES

Lynch spoke to The Telegraph about her perspective on politics, cancel culture and Rowling, and gave some very thoughtful, common sense answers.

She likened it to the "Troubles," a period of conflict centered around Northern Ireland during the late 1900's.

Her experiences with that turmoil helped her realize how silencing speech is a very powerful and dangerous precedent to set.

"During the height of the Troubles, the way of dealing with it was to kind of shut down people who disagree with you. And I do see a parallel in today’s whole cancel culture thing. I just don’t feel comfortable with this idea that if you don’t like what people are saying, you silence them," Lynch said.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JUNE 11: (L-R) Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch and Rupert Grint attend the Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Preview at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on June 11, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

Defending Rowling is Now Controversial

Lynch also realizes how dangerous the proliferation of cancel culture can be going forward. She predicted that the next step could easily be violence.

"I do think the next step is violence, really. I think it’s a similar mindset," she explained.

Unfortunately, freedom of speech and differing opinions are now considered controversial. And so Lynch joins an incredibly small group of "Harry Potter" actors willing to defend Rowling.

She's also almost certainly right about escalation, considering Rowling's already been threatened repeatedly.

Many others, including some of the main actors involved in the franchise, have denounced her for defending women.

The pressure to conform to whatever The Current Thing of woke ideology demands is overwhelming. As a result, Rowling has been cut out of Potter related projects, or called names or seen her books banned.

But the real bravery in the modern world is standing up for what you believe and telling the truth, regardless of the consequences. Rowling is certainly willing to do it, and so is Evanna Lynch.

Hopefully many more follow suit.