Michelle Obama rallies youth after Roe struck down: ‘This is not the future you chose’
Collective outrage, sighs and rallying cries swept over social media on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, unraveling federal protections for abortion that the landmark 1973 case gave women and pregnant people for decades.
Oscar winner Viola Davis said she was “gutted.” Actor Jessica Biel was “enraged.” Alyssa Milano called it “a sad day for America.” And Ariana DeBose was rendered speechless following Friday’s decision, which will effectively give states the power to enforce their own abortion laws.
Others, such as “Avengers” star Mark Ruffalo, actor Rob Reiner, director Elizabeth Banks and former First Lady Michelle Obama used the historic reversal as a call to “keep fighting” and to rally support for reproductive-health organizations including Planned Parenthood and the United State of Women.
The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe vs.
While conservative lawmakers and pro-life supporters applauded the decision, Obama, who was among many liberal politicians opposing the ruling, said Friday that she is “heartbroken” over the “horrifying decision” that will result in “devastating consequences.”
“So yes, I am heartbroken — for the teenage girl, full of zest and promise, who won’t be able to finish school or live the life she wants because her state controls her reproductive decisions; for the mother of a nonviable pregnancy who is now forced to bring that pregnancy to term; for the parents watching their child’s future evaporate before their very eyes; for the health care workers who can no longer help them without risking jail time,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media.
Obama urged readers to see the reversal as “a wake-up call, especially to the young people who will bear its burden.”
“I know this is not the future you chose for your generation — but if you give up now, you will inherit a country that does not resemble you or any of the values you believe in,” she said. “This moment is difficult, but our story does not end here. It may not feel like we are able to do much right now, but we can. And we must.”
Read her full statement and more celebrity reactions to the decision below:
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
