Busy Philipps was only 15 when she became pregnant with her boyfriend's child and even though his mother called her names, her mom was on her side.
There are some conversations that we like to keep hidden under the carpet but some people believe that they deserve to see the light of day. They feel strongly enough to reveal their deepest darkest secrets hoping that it would help someone else. Women have become braver and bolder at accepting their difficult pasts, and are expressing about it more and more. For instance, many celebrities have openly talked about miscarriages or abortions, which many believe should be part of women's reproductive rights.
Cougar Town actress Elizabeth Philipps, better known as Busy Philipps, revealed that she had to undergo an abortion when she was a teen and having that choice meant the world to her. "I had an abortion when I was 15 years old and I’m telling you this because I’m genuinely really scared for women and girls all over this country," she said on E! late-night talk show, Busy Tonight, as per USA Today.
"The statistic is one in four women will have an abortion before age 45," she said. "That statistic sometimes surprises people and maybe you’re sitting there thinking, 'I don’t know a woman who would have an abortion.' Well, you know me," she said. She is married to screenwriter Marc Silverstein and has two kids now.
Many women keep this deeply personal information hidden but she wanted to take a stand against Georgia's controversial "heartbeat bill," that bans termination after 6 weeks, which was signed into law. The bill won't "stop anyone from making this incredibly personal choice" but only endanger women. "Every woman deserves compassion and care, not judgment and interference when it comes to their own bodies," she added.
She also added that her mother was on her side when she took this step. Her mom found out about her situation through her diary. "My mother is who you want in your corner," Philipps wrote in her memoir, adding she "just supported and loved me." In This Will Only Hurt a Little, she wrote that her boyfriend's mother accused her of being "selfish" and "murder(ing) a baby."
She defended her actions saying, "I get why people feel strongly about abortion… BUT I also know that women and their doctors are in the best position to make informed decisions about what is best for them. Nobody else."
She also said that after the procedure she had gone on a field trip with her school to the Vatican, on what would have been her due date. She was able to speak to Pope John Paul II, who made the sign of the cross. "I never told this story publicly … I haven’t even told people I’m very close with," she wrote, according to USA Today. "It doesn’t work for me without getting the absolution I needed. And from the only person in the world who could give it to me: the Pope in Rome," she said.
The fiery actress also called out a famous actor for assaulting her on the sets of Freaks and Geeks. She alleged that James Franco had attacked her when they were on set, but she also said that he apologized for his actions. She revealed that she was directed to "gently hit" him on the chest when she delivered a line, but things went awry.
Franco reportedly got angry at being touched and "grabbed" both her arms and screamed in her face, "DON’T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!" "And he threw me to the ground. Flat on my back. Wind knocked out of me," she added. He apologized the next day and she believes that his remorse was prompted by the show’s producers and director. Franco reportedly faced no consequences for his actions, she was quoted as saying by another USA Today article.
Hollywood is a hard place to work in and without strong voices like hers people who abuse their power would never face any consequences.
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