In a landmark decision that comes nearly 50 years after it was first established, the Supreme Court has officially reversed Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court case establishing the constitutional right to an abortion.
Reactions have been pouring in from a myriad of politicians and elected officials alike, and now, various entertainers in Hollywood have taken to social media to respond as well.
Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes took to Twitter to express her disappointment, writing, “This is actually happening.”
“I’m outraged!,” tweeted Halle Berry. “What the supreme court has done is BULLSHIT. Something has to be done! Guns have more rights than women. Stop this war on women & keep your laws off of our bodies. We have to ban together & NOT accept this! We can’t just post about it, we must DO SOMETHING about it.”
Keke Palmer also expressed her devastation at the decision, writing online: “I’m devastated. I’m past disgusted w/ my country and their constant inability to protect one another’s right & keep their word. How u overturning the wrong things? So many things to overturn that make sense. But this is what you chose??”
Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson succinctly offered, “Just depressing.”
She later added, “There are so many things that need to be fixed in this country right now- 240 characters aren’t enough. The fact that controlling a woman’s rights was top priority- it just tells you everything you need to know. It’s about control, not care.”
In Emmy-nominated actress Yvette Nicole Brown’s Twitter thread, she challenged the 53% of white women who voted for Donald Trump and stressed the importance of voting.
“I hope the 53% of white women who just couldn’t stomach voting for @HillaryClinton are happy that they’ve just ensured that their daughters grow up in #Gilead. A woman’s right to choose is a HEALTH decision. A PERSONAL health decision. I’m a Christian and know that,” she began.
She continued:
“Further, I hope people finally get that VOTING MATTERS! A corrupt, racist, money AND power hungry imp got to put THREE Supreme Court justices on the bench. Those three said they would protect precedent KNOWING their goal was to overturn every right they deemed inappropriate. This all happened because not enough people care enough to vote. And not enough people who DO vote choose leaders that care about everyone—not just the people who think, love and look like them. This is bad. This is VERY bad. And I hope all the smug women who are pro-life realize that if they have a life-threatening pregnancy or if they or their daughter is raped or the victim of incest and a pregnancy is the result THEY or their precious little gumdrop will have to carry that child to term too.”
Academy Award-winning director and musician Questlove also penned, “Wow, just landed after 6 hours of no Wi-Fi on plane to read the news. It’s time (once again for the fatigued) to learn there is no letting up at ANY point. There is no more “ignore the news/willfully ignorant & will just work itself out eventually” y’all better get serious people.”
The 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones expressed, “We knew it was coming and yet it still took my breath away. I have no words. It is one thing when the SCOTUS denies a constitutional right ever exists, something else to take away a constitutional right that has existed for 50 years.”
Brown Sugar and Almost Christmas star Nicole Ari Parker wrote, “What tf is actually happening? Full & total control of women DOES NOT WORK. It WILL backfire in the worst way. The whole will come crashing down. Where’s the the sperm, testicle, mankini bathing suit IN PUBLIC legislation? WE DONT GET PREGNANT BY OURSELVES #WHERETHEMENAT”
Veteran actor and The Wire star Wendell Pierce also hopped on social media to express his disdain, saying “The Supreme Court for the first time in the history of our nation has ruled to take away a constitutional right. The privacy of a woman to consider her physician, her family, and her faith to choose what they do with their body.”
He later added, “The mid term election is a clear referendum on this Supreme Court decision. The Republicans want a NATIONAL BAN ON ABORTION. If they win the Congress that will be the result.”
Saturday Night Live comedian Chris Redd wrote, “Women can’t decide what to do with your bodies anymore and we watched The Purge and felt that’s a great way to handle gun control’ - the supreme dumbass court.”
Director and actor Aisha Tyler penned, “This is a dark day in American history. The Supreme Court destroyed women’s right to choose. The result will shatter women’s lives, make children & families poorer, increase the financial burden on men & erode the American economy. This is a terrible tragedy for all of us.”
SAG-AFTRA—the American labor union represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals—put out a statement condemning the decision:
“Anyone who believes in the right of women to make their own healthcare decisions should be outraged with today’s archaic and dangerous ruling. Every American deserves and is entitled to an equal right to healthcare choice. Today, the United States Supreme Court abandoned that principle in a ruling that empowers states to enact draconian restrictions on healthcare choice and destroy lives, if we allow it. We will continue to fight to ensure the overwhelming majority voice of the people is heard in state and federal legislative bodies. We have the collective power to make certain today’s decision does not overcome the will of the people. SAG-AFTRA will fight to protect women’s right to choice and self-determination that has been recognized for decades.”
Despite the overwhelming doom and despair, there is some positive news to report. Per Variety, several large media companies vowed to cover travel costs for abortions and expanded their employees’ health coverage to include reimbursements for travel for abortions or “similar procedures” in other states. Those companies include Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Comcast, Sony, Meta, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Condé Nast.