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Evangeline Lilly caused controversy on March 16 when she told fans that she wasn't quarantining despite the coronavirus outbreak. Now, she's since apologized and said she has been staying at home.
"Just dropped my kids off at gymnastics camp. They all washed their hands before going in. They are playing and laughing," she wrote, adding a hashtag that said, "Business as usual."
A post shared by Evangeline Lilly (@evangelinelillyofficial) on Mar 16, 2020 at 9:45am PDT
After fans realized that Lilly wasn't self-isolating, many expressed their concern — and anger — that she wasn't taking the novel coronavirus more seriously. She defended her decision, dismissing COVID-19 as a "respiratory flu."
"Where we are right now feels a lot too close to Marshall Law for my comfort already, all in the name of a respiratory flu," she responded to one person.
Lilly told another follower that the facts currently provided to the public about the novel coronavirus "do not add up to the all-out, global lockdown, control, pandemonia, and insanity we are experiencing."
The "Lost" star also shared that she lives with her father, who has been diagnosed with stage four leukemia.
Business Insider reported that cancer patients are at a higher risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19 complications than the general population, as chemotherapy and other treatments can leave them immunocompromised.
However, Lilly said that she's prioritizing her freedom in this situation.
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"I am also immune compromised at the moment. I have two young kids," she wrote, adding, "Some people value their lives over freedom, some people value freedom over their lives. We all make our choices."
Evangeline Lilly said that the facts about the coronavirus "do not add up."
David Livingston/Getty
On Thursday, March 26, Lilly apologized for her "insensitivity" and said that her "ensuing silence has sent a dismissive, arrogant and cryptic message."
The actress added that she thought she was "infusing calm into the hysteria" and has been self-isolating at home with her family since March 18.
"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," she wrote.
Lilly continued, "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."
"All I've ever wanted to do was put joy in the world. To add sunshine. I didn't want you to be having a perfectly good day and then have my post make you sad. But I struggle deeply with feeling that all I ever am is what I feel everyone else wants and needs me to be. I often feel alone and unseen," she wrote.
Lilly continued, "I am coming out of that deep place, slowly. As I start to breathe the fresh air, as I start to find my new, limited footing, I feel disconnected from you. I feel it's pointless to share the light when you don't know my darkness."
The actress hasn't confirmed when her father was diagnosed, or whether her message was related to his illness.
Claudia Willen was formerly an editor at Insider.Before joining Insider, Claudia attended the Columbia Publishing Course and graduated from Vanderbilt University.
