US actress Busy Philipps has used her late night TV program to share the story of her abortion. Speaking on her talk show Busy Tonight, Philipps, 39, condemned a six-week abortion ban that passed in the US state of Georgia, revealing she had an abortion at 15.
“Every woman deserves compassion and care, not judgment and interference, when it comes to their own bodies. The statistic is one in four women will have an abortion before age 45 and that statistic sometimes surprises people. Maybe you’re sitting there thinking ‘I don’t know a woman who would have an abortion’," she said. "Well, you know me.”
An emotional Philipps continued, “I had an abortion when I was 15 years old, and I’m telling you this because I am genuinely really scared for women and girls all over this country. And I think that we all need to be talking more and sharing our stories more.”
Philipps’ revelation was a response to a law signed in Georgia this week, which would ban abortion as soon as a heart rate is detected, sometimes as early as six weeks. Since Georgia’s new law passed, the US state of Alabama looks set to enact a law that would imprison doctors who perform abortion, even in cases of rape and incest.
Philipps, who announced her talk show had been cancelled earlier this week, has been praised on Twitter for her heartfelt comments.
Philipps later wrote on Twitter, “I spoke about my abortion on my show tonight because I cannot sit idly by while women’s rights are stripped away.”
