Celebrities Who Have Had Abortions

[Markxxx]

By celebrity I mean any famous woman living or dead

Without getting into the debate about it. I know that Rita Hayworth and Judy Garland had abortions.

I also read Margaret Cho, the comedienne, Billie Jean King, Joan Collins and Sherri Shepherd and Whoopi Goldberg (both from "The View") also said they had aboritons.

[Sampiro]

Polly Bergen was one of the first actresses who "came out" about having an abortion. It caused major gynecological problems and she became an activist for the legalization of abortion.

Patricia Neal was the reverse. She had an abortion early in her career- the father was Gary Cooper, who was married- and in her later years became a very passionate anti-abortion activist claiming it caused her enormous guilt. (I always found this very hypocritical: she had the benefits of it, for it would likely have destroyed her career to have had a child out of wedlock, and now sought to deny that right to other women.)

Marion Davies had abortions by William Randolph Hearst. This is according to her niece and other women who Davies arranged abortions for with the doctor who she said "did all of mine".

Joan Collins claimed in her memoir to have had an abortion after a fling with Warren Beatty.

Sharon Osbourne claims that she got pregnant the first time she ever had sex (she was 17) and that the abortion caused her major problems in carrying children to term later. (She had more miscarriages than she had children.)

[lee]

Ursula K. Le Guin, according to an article she wrote.

[etv78]

Sampiro-Why do you find Patricia Neal's guilt hypocritical? You doubt that women who have abortions feel guilt over what they did?

[gonzomax]

Originally Posted by etv78

Sampiro-Why do you find Patricia Neal's guilt hypocritical? You doubt that women who have abortions feel guilt over what they did?

Not according to the latest studies.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Joan Collins (supposedly Warren Beatty's)
Billie Jean King (says she had one when she was married to a guy)
Maureen McCormick (claims to have had three when she was trading sex for cocaine).

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by etv78

Sampiro-Why do you find Patricia Neal's guilt hypocritical? You doubt that women who have abortions feel guilt over what they did?

It's hypocritical to want it for yourself, then to turn around and try to deny the same choice to anybody else.

[etv78]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

It's hypocritical to want it for yourself, then to turn around and try to deny the same choice to anybody else.

Yeah, Dio, fair enough.

[Mississippienne]

Jane Russell, of Gentleman Prefer Blondes fame, had a back alley abortion that left her unable to conceive. She adopted all her children.

Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill has been quite frank about her abortion.

[Sampiro]

Silent film superstar Gloria Swanson wrote her memoir when she was almost 80 in which she claimed she'd had two abortions. She said the first was involuntary: she became pregnant on her honeymoon with Wallace Beery and, per Swanson, he tricked her into drinking a "potion" that caused abortion and almost killed her*. She later had an abortion while married to her third husband. (*I find this extremely hard to believe. By all accounts abortifacients generally taste awful- they're by design meant to be very harmful to your body- and I seriously doubt anybody would drink one thinking it was a Tom Collins.)

Michelle Triola had abortions while living with Lee Marvin.

On the topic of Rita Hayworth, she was rumored to have had an abortion by her father, who according to several biographies raped her many times when she was a teenager and they were touring together as dancers. Speaking of: MacKenzie Phillips claims to have had an abortion that may have been fathered by her father; she said she actually didn't know who the father was because she was sexually promiscuous at the time and it was during her alleged affair with her father.

[Sampiro]

Grace Kelly was rumored to have aborted a fetus sired by Bing Crosby. No confirmation.

[needscoffee]

Kathy Najimy
Amy Brenneman
Anne Archer
Erin Brockovich
Cher
Jill Clayburgh
Frida Kahlo
Margot Kidder
Madonna
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Rita Moreno
Kathy Najimy
Stevie Nicks
Anais Nin
Jennifer O'Neill - is now anti-abortion
Grace Paley
Ally Sheedy
Suzanne Somers
Gloria Steinem
Alice Walker
Jill Clayburgh
Linda Ellerbee
Diana Mitford
Jessica Mitford
Grace Paley
Sylvia Plath

Marilyn Monroe was rumored to have had one.

[Captain Amazing]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

It's hypocritical to want it for yourself, then to turn around and try to deny the same choice to anybody else.

If she had been strongly anti-abortion before and while she was having the abortion, it would be hypocritical, but if her anti-abortion feelings and activism came out afterwards, maybe she just had a sincere change of heart.

[needscoffee]

I'm sure she had a sincere change of heart, but I don't respect her for it at all. The thing is, Patricia Neal wasn't against abortion because she felt it was murder, but because as she grew older she desperately wished she had kept her baby. But then by her logic, women shouldn't give up babies for adoption, either. She stated that despite all the tragedies in her life (one child was severely brain-damaged in an accident as an infant, a daughter died of measles at age 7, another daughter became an addict, her husband cheated on her for years with her good friend, she had a 3-year affair with married Gary Cooper who wouldn't leave his wife and child for her, her strokes) the only thing in her life she wished she could change was the abortion. That seems pretty bizarre.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by Captain Amazing

If she had been strongly anti-abortion before and while she was having the abortion, it would be hypocritical, but if her anti-abortion feelings and activism came out afterwards, maybe she just had a sincere change of heart.

It's still hypocritical for her to want to change the rules after she got hers. Regretting a choice is one thing, trying to deny the same choice to others something else.

[Casey1505]

Stretching the definition of celebrity, Kacey Jordan, from the ongoing Charlie Sheen circus, among other ventures, tweeted about hers. Sheen was not believed by her to be the father.

http://twitter.com misskaceyjordan (Broken link...Given her occupation, it's not always SFW.)

[Jonathan Chance]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

It's still hypocritical for her to want to change the rules after she got hers. Regretting a choice is one thing, trying to deny the same choice to others something else.

I surrender to NO one in my hatred for hypocrites (it should be a standard requirement for a political reporter) but I honestly can't see this as hypocrisy.

I can empathize with someone who goes through with something, then later realizes the consequences of that act and decides, through greater experience, to oppose it. It's not hypocrisy in that stretch but rather a greater ability to understand the issue and relate to it that leads to the political position.

It's not like recovering alcoholics shouldn't preach against the evils of alcohol, right? They're fully justified in being against alcohol consumption (in some cases even to advocating prohibition again) and attempting to prevent others from doing so due to their experiences.

[Spit]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

It's still hypocritical for her to want to change the rules after she got hers. Regretting a choice is one thing, trying to deny the same choice to others something else.

So a former heroin addict speaking out against using is hypocritical then?

[Don Draper]

Myra Friedman wrote a biography of Janis Joplin "Buried Alive" that says the singer had an abortion, and was so devastated by the experience that she did call herself a murderer.

Monica Lewinsky admitted in her memoir that she had an abortion from another affair with a married White House insider (NOT Bill!)

Gloria Steinem claims having had an abortion as one of the key events that caused her to become an activist for feminist causes.

[kayaker]

What is. . .a Jeopardy category that would raise a few eyebrows.

[Promethea]

There were rumours that Marlene Dietrich had an abortion following an affair with Jimmy Stewart during the filming of Destry Rides Again. I've seen some accounts where Stewart is angry that she is pregnant and so he dumps her and so she ends the pregnancy because of sadness over his response. I've also seen accounts that claim the whole pregnancy, including the abortion, was lies told by Dietrich, angry at being dumped at the end of an affair, to get back at Stewart.

[Casey1505]

Originally Posted by Markxxx

Without getting into the debate about it....

Don't worry Markxxx, some of us saw this part of your post.

[Superdude]

Adhering to the spirit of the thread title, Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam wrote in an article once that he and his then-girlfriend had an abortion.

[Hazle Weatherfield]

Although Sylvia Plath was known to have had at least one miscarriage (between the births of Frieda and Nicholas, ) I can't locate anything that positively concludes that she ever had an abortion. Anyone?

[Annie-Xmas]

Suzanne Somers
Judy Collins
Yoko Ono

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by Spit

So a former heroin addict speaking out against using is hypocritical then?

A former heroin addict who decides that NOW all heroin addicts should be executed is a hypocrite, yes. It isn't just the opinion about abortion, it's the attempt to punish people criminally for something you did yourself with no consequences. Trying to talk women out of getting abortions would not be hypocritical. Trying to put them in jail is hypocritical.

[needscoffee]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

A former heroin addict who decides that NOW all heroin addicts should be executed is a hypocrite, yes. It isn't just the opinion about abortion, it's the attempt to punish people criminally for something you did yourself with no consequences. Trying to talk women out of getting abortions would not be hypocritical. Trying to put them in jail is hypocritical.

Who is trying to put them in jail? Patricia Neal never did. She wasn't trying to criminalize it, just convince women not to put themselves through the grief she went through. Do you even read the material before you make pronouncements?

[Spit]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

A former heroin addict who decides that NOW all heroin addicts should be executed is a hypocrite, yes. It isn't just the opinion about abortion, it's the attempt to punish people criminally for something you did yourself with no consequences. Trying to talk women out of getting abortions would not be hypocritical. Trying to put them in jail is hypocritical.

I do not think she suggested anyone be executed for having an abortion...

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

Who is trying to put them in jail? Patricia Neal never did. She wasn't trying to criminalize it, just convince women not to put themselves through the grief she went through. Do you even read the material before you make pronouncements?

Read what material? There wasn't any link. Sampiro just said she became an "anti-abortion activist." I assumed that meant she wanted it to be illegal.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by Spit

I do not think she suggested anyone be executed for having an abortion...

It was an anology. If she wanted abortion to be illegal for everybody else but not for her, then she was a hypocrite.

[needscoffee]

Originally Posted by Hazle Weatherfield

Although Sylvia Plath was known to have had at least one miscarriage (between the births of Frieda and Nicholas, ) I can't locate anything that positively concludes that she ever had an abortion. Anyone?

You're right; I was too hasty. It's an unsubstantiated rumor with little to back it up.

[Scumpup]

Down the Dio hole we go...

[needscoffee]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

It was an anology. If she wanted abortion to be illegal for everybody else but not for her, then she was a hypocrite.

Your logic is wrong. Should a person who quits smoking cigarettes be considered hypocritical for urging people not to smoke?

Neal didn't campaign for abortion to be illegal. She advised women to not have abortions based on her grief at not continuing her pregnancy.

[needscoffee]

Originally Posted by Scumpup

Down the Dio hole we go...

It's a slippery slope.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

Your logic is wrong. Should a person who quits smoking cigarettes be considered hypocritical for urging people not to smoke?

No, but they are hypcrites if they want to make smoking illegal.

Neal didn't campaign for abortion to be illegal. She advised women to not have abortions based on her grief at not continuing her pregnancy.

Cite that she was pro-choice?

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by needscoffee

It's a slippery slope.

This is tiresome and stupid. Sampiro is the one who first called Patricia Neal a "hypocrite" in this thread. Why aren't you attacking him?

[Jonathan Chance]

It's tiresome and stupid entirely on you, Dio. People aren't beating on Sampiro about it because you're the one who defended the word and became aggressive about it. Also, likely, because of your history of flying off the handle and having not one inch of compromise in you.

True or not. Justified or not. You've certainly built that reputation. I, for one, believe it to be earned.

Honestly, I thought hard about posting what I did earlier simply because you were in the thread and that you would go on this kick was as predictable as the night following the day. You do, through your behavior patterns, create a classic 'chilling effect' on debate and discussion.

Your answers utterly discount the concept of personal growth and development. You don't acknowledge that a person could go through what they perceive as a traumatic experience and come out changed in viewpoint and attitude when that is a standard behavior of human beings.

In addition, you hugely jumped to a conclusion. Did you have any idea whether Patricia Neal (who is, prior to this, only a name to me) advocated for making abortion illegal? I have my doubts. Yet you justified your stance through a belief that she did. That, sir, is pointless and dishonest.

[Shodan]

If you can't defend the position, then don't defend it.

And you are quite right - it is very tiresome and very stupid.

So fucking stop doing it.

Regards,
Shodan

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Chance

It's tiresome and stupid entirely on you, Dio. People aren't beating on Sampiro about it because you're the one who defended the word and became aggressive about it.

I didn't become aggressive about it.

Honestly, I thought hard about posting what I did earlier simply because you were in the thread and that you would go on this kick was as predictable as the night following the day. You do, through your behavior patterns, create a classic 'chilling effect' on debate and discussion.

This is tiresome, fraudulent bullshit. A question was asked. I answered it. People then wanted to argue with the answer so now that somehow is a "behavior" on my part. Bullshit.

Your answers utterly discount the concept of personal growth and development. You don't acknowledge that a person could go through what they perceive as a traumatic experience and come out changed in viewpoint and attitude when that is a standard behavior of human beings.

I said that it's not hypocritical for a person to regret a choice or try to talk people out of making the same choice, but it IS hypocritical to try to criminalize it after you did it yourself.

In addition, you hugely jumped to a conclusion. Did you have any idea whether Patricia Neal (who is, prior to this, only a name to me) advocated for making abortion illegal? I have my doubts. Yet you justified your stance through a belief that she did. That, sir, is pointless and dishonest.

Yes. I knew who she was, and when she died, many of the stories pointed out that she had become a strongly catholic, pro-life, anti-Roe advocate in her later years.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by Shodan

If you can't defend the position, then don't defend it.

And you are quite right - it is very tiresome and very stupid.

So fucking stop doing it.

I have defended it very well, actually, and I'm curious as to why Sampiro gets a free ride for saying it first. If he comes back and defends his initial statement, will it then become "the Sampiro Show?"

[Spit]

Originally Posted by Diogenes the Cynic

Cite that she was pro-choice?

Er...She had an abortion. A decision that she made. Seems pretty pro-choice to me.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

She was pro-choice when SHE got an abortion, but apparently she then changed her mind and decided abortion should be illegal for everybody else. Now you can agree or disagree that it's hypocritical to do that, but it's not some kind outrageous position to think that it is.

[Spit]

I dunno man- as someone mentioned before, I do not think of myself as a hypocrite for telling people they shouldn't smoke, even though I am a former smoker. Hell, I was saying that while I was smoking.

I would believe her to be a hypocrite if she had railed against abortion, then had one, and continued to rail against abortion.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by Spit

I dunno man- as someone mentioned before, I do not think of myself as a hypocrite for telling people they shouldn't smoke, even though I am a former smoker. Hell, I was saying that while I was smoking.

I would believe her to be a hypocrite if she had railed against abortion, then had one, and continued to rail against abortion.

Like I said, it isn't the being against it, it's trying to change the rules.

[Spit]

Ok, I can see that. So as an ex-smoker, if I lobbied for legislation to ban cigarettes, then I would be a hypocrite.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Originally Posted by Spit

Ok, I can see that. So as an ex-smoker, if I lobbied for legislation to ban cigarettes, then I would be a hypocrite.

Yes. That's exactly my position. Telling people not to smoke: not hypocritical. Trying to make it illegal: hypocritical.

ETA I'm an ex-smoker, but I never bother to lecture anyone about it. not because I think it's hypocritical but because I know it's a complete waste of time.

I will be very supportive and encouraging if someone decides on their own to quit, though.

[ZipperJJ]

Originally Posted by Superdude

Adhering to the spirit of the thread title, Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam wrote in an article once that he and his then-girlfriend had an abortion.

In that same vein, Ben Folds' song "Brick" (about his girlfriend having an abortion if you did not know) is said (by Ben) to be true.

[42fish]

In a probably futile attempt to rerail this thread, some people not yet mentioned from the "Well-Known Women Who Have Had Abortions" lists in "The Book of Lists 2" & "The Book of Lists: The 90s Edition":

Simone De Beauvior
Catherine Deneuve
Nora Ephron
Lee Grant
Lillian Hellman
Viveca Lindfors
Jeanne Moreau
Francois Sagan
Romy Schneider
Susan Sontag
Barbara Tuchman
Sinead O'Connor

[Heyoka13]

Apparently Patti Reagan (Davis) is just a vigorous advocate for a woman's right to choose. I have seen other folks on other boards 'assume' she had had an abortion (or 2) 'just to piss off' her parents.

This is not the case (AFAIK).

[Exapno Mapcase]

Dorothy Parker had one and later reputedly said, "It serves me right for putting all my eggs in one bastard.."