Troian Bellisario is joining the chorus of celebrities speaking out against the new Alabama abortion law.
While voicing her support for women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies, the actress revealed that she originally filmed an abortion scene for season 6 of Pretty Little Liars, though it eventually got cut.
During a season 6, fans learned that Bellisario’s character Spencer took a pregnancy test with her then-boyfriend Toby (played by Keegan Allen). The result of the pregnancy test wasn’t revealed until after the show’s five-year time jump, leaving viewers wondering if her character had an abortion.
Spencer eventually admitted that while the pregnancy test was negative, she would “never judge someone” for getting an abortion.
“When we originally shot the episode we shot TWO versions of the storyline,” she explained in her Instagram Stories. “One where Spencer said she WAS pregnant (and therefore had the abortion) and one where she said ‘I wasn’t pregnant but I would never judge someone for making the choice’ and I will be honest I have no idea ultimately who made the decision to choose the later [sic] storyline for the finale [sic] edit of the episode but I agree with and was proud to portray both.”
Bellisario, who welcomed her first child with husband Patrick J. Adams in October, stressed that the decision of what to do about an unwanted pregnancy should belong to the women alone.
“She should not be judged or punished for it,” she wrote. “And it should not be made for her by another human being. Especially not one who is physically unable to be pregnant or give birth because they never have to have their body potentially harmed by all of the LOADS OF COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH.”
On Wednesday, Alabama’s governor signed into law a ban on nearly all abortions, including those for victims of rape or incest — a move designed to push the Supreme Court to overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing abortion access nearly 50 years ago.
The ban makes performing or attempting to perform an abortion a felony, penalizing the doctor with up to 99 years in prison. The woman seeking an abortion would not be prosecuted.
Abortion at any stage will be outlawed, except where the pregnancy poses a serious health risk to the woman. It is the most expansive such ban in the country.
Following the news, many celebrities chose to speak out against the law.
Lady Gaga shared her feelings on Twitter regarding the law, which was signed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday.
“It is an outrage to ban abortion in Alabama period,” Gaga, 33, began in a post on Wednesday, “and all the more heinous that it excludes those that have been raped or are experiencing incest non consensual or not.”
“This is a travesty and I pray for all these women and young girls who will suffer at the hands of this system,” Gaga wrote.
Chris Evans also tweeted his disapproval of the new law, which is set to take effect in six months though it will likely be halted while the courts weigh in.
Evans, 37, linked the latest anti-abortion efforts to larger political trends.
“This is absolutely unbelievable,” he wrote on Twitter. “If you’re not worried about roe v wade, you’re not paying attention. This is why voting matters!!”
Similar anti-abortion efforts are underway elsewhere in the country, including Georgia and Ohio. Conversely, according to The New York Times, states such as New York and Vermont have taken proactive steps to protect abortion access.
Source: Read Full Article