The How to Build a Girl and The Good Place star and activist Jameela Jamil has condemned the controversial Texas abortion law, calling it “a hatred of women’s freedom and progress”. The new law, which bans abortions when foetal cardiac activity is detected – long before many women are even aware that they are pregnant, came into effect in the US on 1 September.
Jamil, who lived in London until 2016 before moving to Los Angeles, shared details of her personal abortion journey and said that she “used two types of contraception, they both failed, and I aborted at 8 weeks”.
“I was mentally, physically, emotionally and financially unstable and most importantly did not want a child,” she added. “That should be enough. My life matters more than an unborn human.”
She continued, “I had not a minute of regret. I only felt deep relief and gratitude that I lived in a country (UK) that made abortion accessible and safe. Nobody made me feel bad for being there. They just gave me healthcare. Because that is what abortion is. Banning it won’t stop abortion. It will only stop safe abortion, especially for the disadvantaged.”
Taking a dig at the US healthcare system, Jamil said, “The fact that this is happening in a country with no free healthcare or support for parents is even more laughable.
“Do you know it costs $50k (roughly £37,000) to have a baby delivered if you can’t afford health insurance?” she asked, adding, “Never mind every other catastrophic cost of raising a child while you have no income support yourself?
“I am disgusted by Texas. This is not about children. We can’t even feed the children who are here. This is about control. This is about abuse. This is about a hatred of women’s freedom and progress.”
Jamil concluded by saying that this new law is the beginning of all other progressive rights being rolled back.
