Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter
Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter
Whoopi Goldberg, Chelsea Handler, Hilarie Burton, Laura Prepon and Jameela Jamil are among those in Hollywood who have opened up about their experiences since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe first leaked in May 2022.
By Abbey White
Associate Editor
Hollywood is sharing (and resharing) their abortion stories following the Supreme Court’s decision to end constitutional protections that had been in place for nearly 50 years.
The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was made by the court’s conservative majority on June 24, with the ruling’s outcome expected to result in abortion bans in roughly half of U.S. states, including bans with no exception for rape or incest. It came over a month after a leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicated that the United State’s highest court was preparing to overturn an established privacy precedent set in 1973.
Ahead of the ruling and amid backlash to the leaked draft, 150 industry notables — including Megan Thee Stallion and Selena Gomez — attached their names to a public letter condemning what would be the court’s impending decision and declaring their public support for pro-choice policy, reproductive health care and an individual’s right to privacy and medical autonomy.
Following the Friday ruling, Barack and Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Alyssa Milano, Elizabeth Banks, Keke Palmer, Danny DeVito, Questlove, Stephen King and more industry members criticized the court ruling on social media.
Both Hollywood unions and studios responded with statements addressing how they will support entertainment industry members and company employees seeking reproductive health and abortion care in states where abortion will no longer be legal. Meanwhile, late night hosts also took the airwaves on the Monday after the court ruling, reacting to the “incomprehensible” decision to overturn the Roe ruling.
Actors, musicians, models and more are now speaking up in wake of the decision, emphasizing through their own experiences with reproductive healthcare why access to the procedure in a safe and legal way remains significant — and life-saving — in light of a new legal landscape for people seeking abortions.
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter
Send us a tip using our anonymous form.
