To meet Jenn Lyon for the first time is like connecting with a friend you have known for years. Not only is she completely hilarious, but she is a real person with a huge heart. You can currently see her on the the fabulous TNT show Claws, where she plays a bad ass manicurist, who is loyal to a fault. You really have to watch the show to understand how that all makes sense together. While Jenn is excited for everyone to love the last season of Claws as much as she does, she is even more passionate about making the world a better place, especially from the eyes of a woman.

Jenn is connected to a ton of activism, and when she takes on a cause, she goes elbows deep! This might mean she is manning an eating disorder hotline, rummaging through funny looking veggies at the local food pantry, or on the ground humbly drawing signs for strangers at the Women’s March. There is no denying it, Jenn Lyon is the real deal, and it is an honor for Jejune to have her as our next cover!

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Foreword by Kira Bucca, Editor in Chief of Jejune Magazine.

Where are you based?
I’m based in Brooklyn, NY.

What inspired you to get into acting?
Wanting to be anyone but myself, and making my mama laugh.

You are currently in the super fun TNT series Claws, which is wrapping its final season. Can you tell us a little bit about Claws and your character Jennifer?
Claws is a series about these five nail techs in Florida who get involved in the drug trade to make ends meet, and what ensues the deeper in you get.

Jennifer is so sweet, but so badass in Claws. Can you relate to her? What drew you to her character?
I relate to Jen because she is compassionate and loyal to a fault. I was drawn to her because the writing was so fantastic, the world Eliot Laurence created was boldly drawn, and, also, because I was unemployed.

Jejune loves how Claws has such an amazing diverse cast of strong women. As a feminist can you talk a little bit about the importance of this? Is this part of why you wanted to join the show?
There is a misconception that actors get to just pick and choose what they are drawn to. Maybe the top five percent of actors get to do that? The rest of us are blue collar workers, frequently with day jobs, auditioning and hoping we get cast. As a feminist I was crossing my fingers and praying for a callback after I auditioned because the script was the best one I had read all season. I loved that the focus was on the women and that they were all over 30 and scrappy, fully fleshed out, complicated people. They weren’t just a side piece to a male protagonist.

We heard you had to actually learn how to do a manicure for the show. How solid are your nail skills these days? Do you normally rock some wild claws?
We did all go to nail school, taught by Beedy Williams (@beedy_the_black_nail_tech), who is a genius New Orleans based nail artist, and my nail skills aren’t too bad! I could probably give you a decent full set.

What is one of your favorite memories from Claws?
I have so many good memories from Claws that it’s hard to pick one. They all involve laughing my tits off with the cast and crew. Sometimes when you are shooting really long hours, everyone gets punchy and giggly at the same time, and that’s my favorite. When you can’t even make eye contact with anyone because their face also wants to laugh so bad.

Is there anything fun we can expect from the last season?
You can expect hijinks, Tom Foolery, jack assery, and a whole lotta love.

You started out in the theater. Now that you are finished with Claws and Broadway is coming back. Are you itching to get back on the stage or are you more interested in staying in film?
Getting back onstage soon would be wonderful, and I hope that happens.

While you are hilarious and an amazing actress Jejune loves how much philanthropic work you do! Let’s start with your work with NEDA. You come from a past struggling with eating disorders. Can you tell us a little bit about that, how you recovered, and what inspired you to join NEDA?
NEDA is the national eating disorder association, and they are a one stop shop for resources for anyone struggling with or that wants to help for someone struggling with an eating disorder. I called their helpline when I was at a loss one night and didn’t know where to turn, and they helped me find a therapist that worked on a sliding scale that I could afford. This then lead me to eventually enter a rehab, called the Renfrew Center, years later, which I credit with me being in recovery now.

You have been known to be anti dieting. Can you tell us a bit about this stance? What do you think is the best way for people to be healthy?
I’m 100 percent anti-diet culture. It never works long term, it fucks up your metabolism and your brain, and yet, we consistently blame ourselves and not that terrible system. We have all this messaging installed in us that teaches us we can’t trust our own hunger and bodies, which then leads us to restrict, which is just the flip side of the binge. The quickest way to become obsessed with food is not to eat it. I refuse to participate. I refuse to obey. I think intuitive eating and moderation is the ultimate way our bodies work well, but I think you have to learn it in context with a professional.

The pandemic has been a hard time for everyone, but especially for those with mental health. Have you seen an uptick in people struggling with their eating disorders during this time? Do you have any advice for anyone struggling now?
The pandemic was super difficult for anyone struggling with mental illness and eating disorders. The isolation and lack of structure can be debilitating. My advice is to reach out, and also go back to the things you know have worked for you. Also, if you aren’t getting adequate sleep, drinking water, stretching and moving at least a little to be in your body, your brain doesn’t have a chance of thinking clearly.

Speaking of mental health, you also work with The Loveland Foundation. Can you tell us a bit about this organization and your work with them?
The Loveland Foundation is a nonprofit that works to get therapy and resources for communities of color, especially black women and girls. That kind of access to healing can impact generations to come. You can donate directly to their therapy fund or become a patron, and know that you are directly enabling black women and girls to have access to life changing empowerment and liberation.

You are clearly a huge ally for the black and brown community as you are also part of Black Women Lead. Can you tell us about this organization and why it is so important?
Black Women Lead is an LA based nonprofit that shows up for the community in the most amazing on the ground ways. School supplies, food drives, voter registration, educational rallies for injustice — you name it, and these ladies do it. Black Women are not a monolith, but as a group they do “sit at the intersection of targeted oppression; so, they have a deep understanding of the relational nature of freedom” and they have consistently shown up to fight for the common good.

In your spare time we also hear you volunteer at a food pantry twice a week. How did you connect with this space?
I connected with the Helping Hands food pantry because I read an article about them in the New York Times, I contacted Joel who runs it, he told me they needed more volunteers, and now I’m so lucky to be in their company. Every Friday we put together giant bags of vegetables, receive deliveries, and organize all kinds of items for the next day pantry. They serve so many people and families in the Brooklyn area.

Finally, you are a huge advocate for reproductive rights and a board member for A is For. Can you tell us a bit about what A is For and what its goal is? What made you decide to join this group?

A is For was started by artists and advocates, and it turns Hester Prynne’s scarlet A — intended as a letter of shame — on its head and reclaims it. It’s goal is a world in which every person has access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care free from judgement, scrutiny and obstruction. What made me join this group was that they were bad ass, had all kinds of programs, and their members were on the front lines and funding all different kinds of grass roots organizations all over the country. If a woman cannot control her fertility, she cannot control her own life, and so we fight tooth and nail to make sure we retain control over our own lives.

Obviously abortion rights is a huge issue right now, not that hasn’t ever been, but with what is going on in Texas it has been pushed to the limelight again. Can you tell us your thoughts on why it is so important that women have the right to choose?
What’s happening in Texas is nothing short of terrifying. It’s a painful glimpse at the writing on the wall for American women, trans men and non-binary people. Author Lauren Rankin said it best when she said, “Roe V Wade was never the end-all-be-all. We deserve more than the legalization of abortion. We deserve equality. We deserve liberation. We deserve so much more than this pathetic, misogynistic display from the highest court in the land.“

You are a southern girl with a preacher for a father. Do you ever have conflicts with your family on your views? Any advice for those butting heads with family members?
My father is a preacher, but I’m pretty lucky that the Methodists are the most liberal of the Protestants. My grandfather was a preacher, and my uncle is currently a preacher, the whole family has a faith that is the cornerstone of their lives. I think my best advice when you are butting heads with family members is to see if you can take a breath, maybe a giant mouthful of food and remember that, as Ram Dass says, “we are all just walking each other home.”

You recently joined the NYC Women’s March with A is For, and was so kind to invite Jejune’s team! Can you tell us a little bit about the march and why you think it is so important that we do these?
Dude that was so great that the Jejune team came and marched! That really warmed my heart. It’s vital that we are an engaged citizenry, that we use our right to protest and reflect what the people want and work to influence legislature. One of the chants that we always say is, “This is what Democracy looks like!” I believe we are responsible for creating the political system we want to live in.

So many older feminists complained that they can’t believe they are still out there fighting for these simple health rights. What do you think the future of women’s rights might look like?
Well, we need to get the ERA ratified here in this country. I hope that in the future of women’s rights, we don’t have to keep reminding people that women’s rights are human rights. We have made great strides and it is my sincerest wish that women’s dream to live free from violence, slavery, and discrimination is realized. We deserve to be educated, to own property, to vote, and to earn a fair and equal wage. That has been enshrined in the UN as human rights, but we have yet to put it into practice everywhere.

As a New Yorker, how did you weather the pandemic? How did you stay positive during shelter in place? Have you gone back to normal?
The pandemic was wild in NYC. It was constant sirens, fear, and death. I tried to stay positive by volunteering and making masks, PPE and donating blood. But I wasn’t always successful. I got pretty depressed. Seeing so much suffering was terrible and all the uncertainty is rough for human brains. I had some relapses with bingeing and purging. I got really low watching all the division in our country. I’m lucky I had a show to go back and shoot, and that I had service to do to shake my brain up. But I also had to go back to basics and get sleep, go to therapy, and create structure for myself. Things are finally opening back up again, but I don’t want the realizations we have made to be lost.

What is your life motto?
I don’t have a life motto. Should I get one?!

To learn more about Jenn Lyon and the organizations talked about above, please follow them here:
Instagram: @thejennlyon
Twitter: @thejennlyon
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): @neda
The Loveland Foundation: @thelovelandfoundation
Black Women Lead: @black_womenlead
Helping Hands Food Pantry of Brooklyn, NY: https://www.foodpantries.org/li/helping_hands_food_pantry_st._augustine_chruch_11217
A is For: @aisfororg

Team Credits:
Photographer and Stylist: Kira Bucca
Hair: Patrick Kyle at EM Management using Unite Hair
Make-up: Allyson Wisel
Manicurist: Trenna Seney
Photo Assistant: Michael Newman
Stylist Assistant: Kaylyn Wenzel

Cover - Jenn Lyon & The Scarlet Letter