Halsey revealed that they’ve suffered three miscarriages in the past, one of which required a medically necessary abortion so that the singer didn’t “risk going into sepsis.”
In a personal response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade penned for Vogue, Halsey shared details about their experience with abortion, and whether eventually giving birth to a child changed her opinion on the right to abortion. The essay was published on Friday (July 1).
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“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,” wrote Halsey, who welcomed her first child, Ender, in July 2021. “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. 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.”
In the essay, Halsey explained how having an abortion saved her life.
“I miscarried three times before my 24th birthday,” the pop star 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.”
She noted that her previous experience led her to rewriting her will during the third trimester of her 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. 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 has been been leading “My body, my choice” chants at their concerts to voice opposition to the June 24 reversal of Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that had previously guaranteed one’s federal rights to abortion. They reacted to backlash from anti-choice conservatives on Twitter last week, writing: “Downside of doing outdoor venues: no door to hit them on the way out.”
In another tweet, she added, “The ‘people pay to see you sing not hear your views’ argument is so dumb. No, you paid to see me use a stage as a form of expression in the manner that I choose. Sorry you lack the critical thinking to realize that the rhetorical power of music doesn’t always serve your escapism.”
“Honored to have my audience,” Halsey also tweeted. “Proud they cultivate a space where emotion and action meet. Love doing what I do. And expect me to always tell the truth when I get up there. Show must go on.”
Read Halsey’s essay for Vogue in full here.