Busy Philipps Opens Up About Having an Abortion at 15 While Addressing Georgia's New Abortion Law
Busy Philipps shared a very personal story on Tuesday's episode of Busy Tonight during a discussion about Georgia's controversial abortion law, which will prohibit the procedure after about six weeks.
The talk show host took issue with the law while also opening up about the abortion she had as a teenager. "I know that people feel very strongly about abortion, but let me just say this: Women and their doctors are in the best position to make informed decisions about what is best for them," Philipps said to camera as the live audience cheered. "Nobody else, nobody."
This week, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law the "fetal heartbeat bill" which prohibits abortion after a heartbeat is detected in an embryo. This is something that typically occurs between five and six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant.
The 39-year-old actress went on to tell viewers that she does not think the law will stop women from making an "incredibly personal choice" but it will "put more women at risk."
"The statistic is that one in four women will have an abortion before age 45. That statistic sometimes surprises people, and maybe you're sitting there thinking, 'I don't know a woman who would have an abortion,'" she continued. "Well, you know me."
Philipps went on to share that at age 15, she had an abortion, and wanted to tell her story because she's "genuinely really scared for women and girls all over this country."
The Freaks and Geeks star, who is now a mother of two, then quickly changed the subject to the 2019 Met Gala, but still had a message about women's empowerment. "Is that a hard left turn?" she asked. "Yeah, it is. Is it kind of jarring? Yes, it is also kind of jarring. But, guess what? That's what being a f**king woman is. Having a regular Tuesday and then suddenly being reminded that people are trying to police your body."
This is not the first time Philipps has opened up about having an abortion. In her 2018 book, This Will Only Hurt a Little, she writes about how her boyfriend's family at the time did not support her decision.
"You're being selfish is what you're doing," she recalls the boyfriend's mother screaming. "You're going to MURDER A BABY because you didn't prevent this. We are a good Catholic family and there is no way that I can let this happen in good conscience."
Philipps' parents found out about the situation and supported her decision, even helping her find a private practice to perform the procedure. Her mom handled the difficult decision with love, the actress writes, even keeping her father on board -- "I knew he thought I was murdering a baby, too" -- and giving the boyfriend's mother a piece of her mind over the telephone.
Here's more with the outspoken star:
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