Actress Jessie Cave has spoken out about what she describes as traumatic experiences on the set of the Harry Potter films, including alleged fat-shaming by a costume designer. Cave, who portrayed Lavender Brown for three installments of the blockbuster franchise, detailed the incidents on the RESET the Pod podcast.
Cave, who was 20 when cast, recounted an incident where a costume designer allegedly gripped her hip and questioned her weight. "The costume designer came up to me, gripped the fat on my hips and said, 'What is this?' She gripped it so hard it left me in pain. I just had to say, 'That's my body,'" Cave stated.
She also claimed to have been told to "suck in" immediately before filming a scene in the Great Hall, which led to her crying. "She whispered in my ear, 'Suck in, suck in.' I immediately started crying," Cave said. "The camera was behind me at first, but when it reached my face, you can see in the film that I've got tears in my eyes."
Cave further alleged that after returning for the final film approximately two stone heavier, she felt "treated like I was invisible" and a "complete nobody." She attributed this shift in treatment directly to her weight gain, stating, "It was 100% because of my weight."
These experiences have made Cave hesitant about the upcoming HBO Harry Potter reboot series. She expressed concern for her four children, stating, "I would not wish that on my kids. I wouldn't want them to face that scrutiny. You're signing them up for a job where there can be a lot of cruelty – it hardens you."
More recently, Cave has turned to OnlyFans to supplement her income after facing difficulties in securing acting auditions. She described the platform as a source of income that allowed her to afford rent, posting non-sexual content focused on hair fetishism. Cave noted that the platform has been "life-changing" and has allowed her to feel in control after years of feeling inadequate. She is currently among the top 1 percent of creators on the platform, though she has encountered confusion regarding the nature of her content.
Cave and her partner Alfie Brown recently announced their engagement after 12 years and four children together.