Rita Moreno reflects on her own life-threatening illegal abortion in light of Roe v. Wade overturn
Moreno is one of dozens of Hollywood stars speaking out today against the Supreme Court's decision
Aux News Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 decision today, ending decades of federal protections for reproductive rights and tossing them into the grubby paws of state legislators who care far more about their ability to control the rights of citizens than their actual lives—and provoking a nationwide wave of responses in the process. Hollywood, for instance, has had a wide outpouring of voices decrying the decision, protesting its widespread, dangerous abrogation of people’s rights to control their own bodies and medical decisions.
That includes, among many others, EGOT performer Rita Moreno, who spoke today with Variety about her very vivid memories of what life before Roe was like—and specifically, when she was forced to acquire an illegal abortion herself. Moreno originally revealed the details of her abortion in a 2011 book, noting that Marlon Brando, who she’d been dating at the time, arranged it. In the interview with Variety today, she said, “Marlon found a doctor through some friends. He was a real doctor—Marlon paid him $500—as opposed to something in a back alley.” Nevertheless, the procedure went wrong, leading Moreno to start bleeding dangerously and be forced to go to a regular hospital for her “disturbed pregnancy.”
Marlon took me to the hospital. I had what they told me was a “disturbed pregnancy.” The doctor didn’t do anything really, except make me bleed. In other words, he didn’t do it right. I didn’t know it then, but I could have died. What a mess. What a dreadful mess.
Moreno’s is just one of a huge number of voices today expressing their sorrow at the Supreme Court decision—albeit one who actually had to live through the consequences of a world where abortion was illegal. (As abortion advocates often point out, bans are unlikely to reduce the number of abortions; just the number of safe abortions.)
Moreno also recalled her jubilation when Roe first passed, and the depression she feels today. Nevertheless: “We loud mouths are going to have to get busy,” Moreno said. “There are many of us. I’m thinking what are we going to do about this? If anything, this has reactivated us.”
12 Comments
she wasn’t forced, she chose to abort a child
Lot of pro-lifers in red states are in for a nasty surprise when they or their spouses have an ectopic pregnancy or miscarry and they won’t be able to find a doctor to treat them because said treatment is clinically indistinguishable from abortion. Or hey, maybe they’ll struggle to conceive and to want to try IVF, but all the fertility clinics are closed because artificially fertilized eggs are “people” now, and doctors don’t to risk being charged with “murder” by failing to implant every last one of them in the mother. Or [insert any number of unanticipated reproduction-related issues that can and will have a direct impact on the lives everyone, including anti-abortion activists].
You really think the spouses will care? These same red state pro-lifers refused to even believe COVID-19 existed until they were dying in a hospital. If it doesn’t affect them personally it isn’t a problem in their eyes.
Plenty of them didn’t care even when it did affect them.
“a lot” still just means in the dozens, or hundreds at best. It won’t move the needle.
10-15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage – and that’s among women who know they’re pregnant. That’s more than dozens and hundreds. And I don’t care about “moving the needle” – just the giant fucking tragedy that’s about to unfold.
We need to move the needle to get people elected who will support reproductive freedom and appoint judges who feel similarly.
Not everyone alive in the 70’s knew a woman that died from an illegal abortion, but some did and the stories tend to spread. I imagine some minds will be similarly changed by what’s to come.
Sure, it’s just that wasn’t the intent of my original comment, which was more “there are going to be a lot of fucked up unintended consequences, and I hope these folks are prepared for them” rather than “I bet pro-lifers will come around once they get a taste of the upcoming dystopia.” And really, the needle’s already been moved. 85% of Americans think abortion should be legal in some or all cases. 55% identify as pro-choice. This is about as settled an issue as you can get in American politics. Democrats in congress could pass federal abortion bill today if they wanted, but that would require the courage of eliminating the senate filibuster, which is a no-go for…reasons.
What I don’t understand is why the democrats didn’t do this before. Like they’ve been in real control of congress and the presidency before. Why did we wait until this happened to decide it’s time to pass a federal law?
Cowardice. There’s never been a popular issue the Democrats couldn’t talk themselves out of supporting.
all the protected states gonna put clinics at their state borders.
yay, medical tourism.
it only goes two ways “it’s god’s will” or “my abortion was moral” there’ll be no enlightenment no matter how many times it happens to them