TV show host Chelsea Handler has revealed that she had two abortions at the age of 16, saying that she initially wanted to keep the baby, something her parents described as “ridiculous”.
"Of course, the idea that I would have a child and raise it by myself at that age, when I couldn’t even find my way home at night, was ridiculous,” she explained in an article she wrote for Playboy magazine's Freedom Issue.
Explaining how she felt “parented” while getting an abortion, she added that "when it was over, [she] was relieved in every possible way.”
The Chelsea host said that getting “unintentionally pregnant more than once is irresponsible” before adding that it’s still “necessary to make a thoughtful decision.”
“We all make mistakes all the time. I happened to f*** up twice at the age of 16. I’m grateful that I came to my senses and was able to get an abortion legally without risking my health or bankrupting myself or my family.”
Using her experience to berate politicians who are making “bogus promises” in a bid to overturn the US Supreme Court’s ruling making abortion a woman’s right, she explained: “Like millions of women, I can live my life without an unplanned child born out of an unhealthy relationship because of Roe v Wade.
“It’s infuriating to hear politicians make bogus promises about overturning this ruling that has protected us for more than 40 years.
“Once you go forward in history, you don’t go backward. It’s okay if you think it’s not right for women to have abortions — but it’s not your problem, because we decide.”
