Since the end of last month, a number of artists have used their platform to speak out and lend a hand of support to women all over the country. It comes after the Supreme Court made the decision to overturn Roe V. Wade which guaranteed abortion rights for women in the U.S. One of the artists who has been quite vocal is Halsey. They took a moment to speak about abortions in a personal response they wrote for Vogue and it’s here that Halsey also shared some insight about an abortion they had in the past.
“Many people have asked me if, since carrying a child to term after years of struggling to do so, I have reconsidered my stance on abortion,” they wrote. “The answer is firmly no. In fact, I have never felt more strongly about it. My abortion saved my life and gave way for my son to have his.” Halsey gave birth to their first child, Ender, in July 2021. They added, “Every person deserves the right to choose when, if, and how they have this dangerous and life-altering experience. I will hold my son in one arm, and fight with all my might with the other.” Next, Halsey explained how an abortion saved their life.
“I miscarried three times before my 24th birthday,” they said. “It seemed a cruel irony that I could get pregnant with ease but struggled to maintain a pregnancy. One of my miscarriages required ‘aftercare,’ a gentle way of saying that I would need an abortion, because my body could not terminate the pregnancy completely on its own and I would risk going into sepsis without medical intervention. During this procedure, I cried. I was afraid for myself and I was helpless. I was desperate to end the pregnancy that was threatening my life.”
They went on to explain how their experience caused them to rewrite their will during the third trimester of their pregnancy with Ender.
“I was prepared for the worst,” Halsey wrote. “I gave detailed instructions regarding the donation of my organs should I die or be declared brain-dead, meaning if my heart beat on but my brain wasn’t functioning, the state would have permission to cut into my warm and still flush flesh and take my organs to save other lives.” They added, “How funny that while my own heart would amount to nothing more than a series of involuntary movements on an operating table, a beating heart in my womb could mean I couldn’t consent to saving my own life.”
Halsey’s message comes after they responded to fans leaving a recent concert of theirs because of a Roe V. Wade speech they gave during it.
You can read Halsey’s full message with Vogue here.