ACTRESS Jessica Chastain posted a photo on Instagram on the US Independence Day with her middle fingers up, along with the caption: “Happy ‘Independence’ Day from me and my reproductive rights.”
In January, she revealed to The Sunday Times that having access to Planned Parenthood and birth control pills growing up gave her the opportunity to pursue her career as an actress.
“I’m the first person in my family to not be pregnant when I was 17,” she told the daily. “[Planned Parenthood] had a great impact on my life because it gave me choice.
“So because I come from that place, I know what it’s like. And it makes me angry. And I don’t [want] anyone else to be denied anything. In terms of a voice, being seen, being acknowledged and valued.”
Chastain’s post comes a little over a week after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion for women. 1973’s Roe v. Wade ruling granted women the right to an abortion in all states.
However, a new 6-to-3 Supreme Court ruling on June 24 reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, giving states the power to pass their own laws around abortion. Since the decision, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and South Dakota have already banned abortion in their states.
Chastain joins a growing number of female celebrities who have criticised the “regressive” ruling, including Anne Hathaway, Hilarie Burton, Halsey, Maya Hawke, Sophia Bush, Padma Lakshmi, Jane Fonda and Selena Gomez.
