Taylor Swift, Ariana DeBose, Stephen King, Others Slam Abortion Ruling: America You're in for the Fight of Your Life

The US Supreme Court, on Friday, overturned the historic Roe v. Wade Verdict, ending nearly 50 years of the constitutional right to abortion. The decision has been met with a lot of criticism as it poses a threat to women’s rights and reproductive health. Several Hollywood bigwigs have come out in sharp criticism of the verdict. Pop star Taylor Swift tweeted, “I’m absolutely terrified that this is where we are — that after so many decades of people fighting for women’s rights to their own bodies, today’s decision has stripped us of that.”

Cookery show host and author Padma Lakshmi said, “People will still get abortions. These procedures won’t stop just because Roe v. Wade is overturned. This will only prevent safe, legal abortions from taking place. The right to decide when to start a family or not is a choice every individual should be able to make on their terms when the time is right for them. This freedom and dignity is something we should all fight to preserve.”

She added, “I wish more people understood that the decision to have an abortion is deeply personal and complex. It’s a decision that should be treated with compassion and empathy, not vilified or criminalised.”

Actress Ariana DeBose, too, criticised the ruling. She wrote, ” “Yeah, ain’t NOBODY telling me what I can & can’t do with my body. Ain’t nobody telling me who I get to love or marry for that matter. America … you’re in for the fight of your life.”

Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette was equally unequivocal. She said: “This Supreme Court is an absolute disaster. From giving people the right to carry guns to taking away women’s rights of autonomy over their own bodies. We weren’t being reactive, we saw it coming.”

Renowned author Stephen King had a sarcastic response. He wrote, “It’s the best Supreme Court the 19th century has yet produced.”

The ruling comes months after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito revealed the top court was poised to overturn the 1973 case ruling to limit abortion access in the United States. According to the Roe v. Wade, women had the right to abortion based on the constitutional right to privacy over their own bodies. As per the law, states could not ban abortions before fetal viability, the point at which the fetus can survive outside the womb.

Overturning the landmark 1973 decision, a conservative-dominated court said, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” the court said.

(With IANS inputs)

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