With the recent “heartbeat bill” passed in Georgia, and even more recent abortion ban passed in Alabama, women across America are feeling more hopeless and frightened for their future than ever. Many female celebrities have responded to this legislation by sharing their own abortion stories, with Busy Philips kicking off a Twitter campaign with the tag #YouKnowMe. She encouraged women everywhere to share their stories, and help shed light on how common abortions really are, how many women’s lives they have saved, and all the different set of circumstances that could make an abortion the best choice for everyone involved.
Most importantly, women sharing their abortion stories, and giving a face to the individuals who are now or soon will be denied access to abortion, will hopefully strike a chord with legislators going forward. Women getting abortions are not shadowy figures or statistics: they are people you know and interact with every day. On that note, here are all the celebrities who have shared their abortion stories in response to this legislation so far.
Minka Kelly
Minka Kelly shared her abortion story on Instagram, calling it “the smartest decision [she] could’ve made.” She expands on her reasoning, laying out how unfit she and her boyfriend would have been as parents at the time, and how unfair that would have been to a child. “Having a baby at that time would have only perpetuated the cycle of poverty, chaos and dysfunction I was born into,” the actress shares, “Forcing a child to be born to a mother who isn’t ready, isn’t financially stable, was raped, a victim of incest (!!), isn’t doing that theoretical child any favors.” She goes on to beg those supporting this new legislation to consider the “love and attention” mothers, and children born into poverty deserve — not just that deserved by the unborn fetus. She also notes the importance of proper sex education, and asks why men are not being held equally responsible: “women do not get pregnant alone,” she reminds us.
Busy Philips
Busy Philips, who kicked off the #YouKnowMe campaign, has spoken about her abortion before in her memoir This Will Only Hurt A Little. In an episode of Busy Tonight, she shared the story again: “I had an abortion when I was 15 years old and I’m telling you this because I’m genuinely really scared for women and girls all over the country,” she offered frankly. In a follow-up Instagram post, she adds that she has “no shame about [her] personal choice,” adding that she is “1 in 4” — an important statistic to know in raising awareness of just how common abortion is.
Jameela Jamil
I had an abortion when I was young, and it was the best decision I have ever made. Both for me, and for the baby I didn’t want, and wasn’t ready for, emotionally, psychologically and financially. So many children will end up in foster homes. So many lives ruined. So very cruel.
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) May 13, 2019
Jameela Jamil calls her abortion “the best decision [she has] ever made,” and focuses once again on how irresponsible it is to insist on children being carried to term — without any system in place to provide them with sufficient care once they are born. She writes: “[It was the best decision] both for me, and for the baby I didn’t want, and wasn’t ready for, emotionally, psychologically and financially. So many children will end up in foster homes. So many lives ruined. So very cruel.” She tweeted this in response to an earlier tweet about Georgia’s new abortion legislation, which she calls “upsetting, inhumane, and blatantly demonstrative of a hatred of women.”
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich gave a comprehensive explanation of the state of abortion laws in this country before sharing her own story — one that, per her own admissions, she “never wanted to speak about.” Given the laws she’s just outlined, however, she concludes that she “cannot remain silent when so much is at stake.” Jovovich had an emergency abortion a few years back while 4 1/2 months pregnant, and describes it as “one of the most horrific experiences” she’s ever gone through. “When I think about the fact that women might have to face abortions in even worse conditions than I did because of new laws, my stomach turns,” the actress writes, adding that she went into one of the “worst depressions of [her] life” following her abortion.
Amber Tamblyn
In 2012, I had an abortion. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I still think about it to this day. But these truths do not make me regret my decision. It was the right choice for me, at that time in my life. I have not a single doubt about this. #YouKnowMe
— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) May 16, 2019
Amber Tamblyn took to Twitter to share a short and sweet statement on her abortion. “In 2012, I had an abortion,” she writes. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I still think about it to this day. But these truths do not make me regret my decision. It was the right choice for me, at that time in my life. I have not a single doubt about this.” And of course, she closes off with the rallying cry: #YouKnowMe.
Lindsey Godfrey
I had an abortion. I just simply wasn’t in a place, financially or emotionally to take that on. I was and still am glad I had that choice because that’s exactly what it was, it was my choice, my body. #YouKnowMe
— Linsey Godfrey (@linseygodfrey) May 16, 2019
Lindsey Godfrey also shared a quick description of her abortion on Twitter, and emphasizes that it wasn’t a particularly dramatic or life-threatening situation. “I had an abortion,” she writes plainly. “I just simply wasn’t in a place, financially or emotionally to take that on. I was and still am glad I had that choice because that’s exactly what it was, it was my choice, my body.” She doesn’t need to provide any further explanation, the tweet implies — it’s her choice, and it’s her business why.
Tess Holliday
Tess Holliday, who is Mississippi-born but now lives in California, reflects on the fact that the abortion she “wanted & needed” might not have been possible if she’d stayed down south. Holliday, a married mother of two, says the decision to get an abortion wasn’t easy: “it was excruciating on many levels, but necessary,” the model shares. ” Do I regret it or question my choice? Not at all.” Ultimately, it came down to her mental health. Holliday knew herself well enough to know she “couldn’t handle being pregnant again,” and made the tough choice because it was bets for and her family. She notes that her experience of having an abortion as a parent is far from unique, and in fact ” the majority of abortions in Alabama in 2017 were already parents.” She closes out with a reminder that abortion is not just a heterosexual issue, or women’s issue, including a quote reminding people that “queer women, trans men, and non-binary people […] have a disproportionately difficult time accessing abortions. Finally, she reminds us that abortion is “healthcare,” and “folx down south need safe access.”
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