My body, my choice. As the abortion debate rages in America, these are the stars who have bravely shared their abortion stories...

Roe v Wade was a landmark decision made by the US Supreme Court in 1973 which legalised abortion across America, ruling that a pregnant woman has the liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. After standing for almost 50 years, the Supreme Court could be about to overturn Roe and Casey, changing abortion law across the US. Despite the stigma, these 10 brave stars have opened up about their experiences to let women know they have the right to choose...

The 'Charmed' star had two abortions in 1993 when she was in her early twenties. She revealed on her podcast ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, that her decision to end both pregnancies was hard, but she knew she wasn’t “equipped to be a mother” at the time. She continued: "I chose. It was my choice. And it was absolutely the right choice for me…I would not have my children – my beautiful, perfect, loving, kind and inquisitive children – who have a mother who was so very, very ready for them. I would not have my career.”

The ‘Super Bass’ rapper became pregnant when dating an older guy from Queens, while she attended Manhattan's LaGuardia High School. She opened up about her abortion in 2014, sharing: “I was a teenager. It was the hardest thing I'd ever gone through… It'd be contradictory if I said I wasn't pro-choice. I wasn't ready. I didn't have anything to offer a child." Minaj has referenced her abortion in several songs, including 'All Things Go' and 'Autobiography'.

‘The Good Place’ star revealed she had an abortion to show support for the women who would be affected by the tightening restrictions on abortion in Georgia and other US states in 2019. She believes that having a termination was the best decision for her because she "wasn't ready emotionally or psychologically". She said: "I had an abortion when I was young, and it was the best decision I have ever made. Both for me, and for the baby I didn't want, and wasn't ready for, emotionally, psychologically, and financially."

In 2019, following the new abortion legislation in America, the ‘Hustlers’ star joined the #YouKnowMe trend on Twitter, which saw women share their abortion stories. The actress tweeted: “I was worried about my career responsibilities and afraid that I could not exist as both a career woman and mother … Making individual choices is not a betrayal to your faith. Mainly, because God knows your heart and your journey. God never judges.”

The activist and actress is a strong supporter of the #MeToo movement and in 2019, she encouraged women to discuss their experiences with abortion to remove the taboo around the subject. Sharing her own story, she said: “I was on birth control and it failed. I realized I could not bring a child into my world and simultaneously change the world. I do not regret my decision and it was not made lightly. If you do not want an abortion, don’t get one. My body, my choice, my life.”

The ‘Glee’ star, who tragically passed away in 2020, discussed the pregnancy she terminated during the early days of the hit show in her memoir 'Sorry Not Sorry'. At the time, she didn’t tell her then-husband and had the procedure during a day off from filming the TV series. After releasing the memoir, Rivera said: “It was very scary to open up about everything ... It's not something a lot of people talk about, but I think they should. I know some people might read it and say, 'What the hell?' But I hope someone out there gets something out of it.”

The ‘Dynasty’ star spoke to Piers Morgan in 2010 about her decision to have an abortion during her mid-20s. The actress fell pregnant with then-fiancé Warren Beatty, but having a child was “unthinkable” for her, as it would have been “an absolute career death” for her. Joan also believed she could not give her child a stable life, adding: “He didn’t have any money, I had nothing, and I believe if you are going to bring a child into the world that you have to have a responsibility to that child.”

The ‘Material Girl’ hitmaker's career had just taken off when she fell pregnant. Instead of trying to juggle both her early fame and motherhood, Madonna had an abortion. In 1996, she revealed: "You have to look at your lifestyle and ask, 'Am I at a place in my life where I can devote a lot of time to being the really good parent I want to be?' I think you have to be mentally prepared for it. If you're not, you're only doing the world a disservice by bringing up a child you don't want."

Two years after Fleetwood Mac released their acclaimed ‘Rumours’ album, Stevie Nicks had an abortion in 1979. The singer credits her choice with allowing the band to continue their success. She opened up about her "generation's fight” in 2020, saying: "If I had not had that abortion, I'm pretty sure there would have been no Fleetwood Mac ...There's just no way that I could have had a child then, working as hard as we worked constantly.”

The actress revealed on her 'Busy Tonight' show that she had a termination when she was just 15. She said: “I had an abortion when I was 15 years old and I’m telling you this because I’m genuinely really scared for women and girls all over the country ... Is it kind of jarring? Yes, it is also kind of jarring. But guess what? That’s what being a f****** woman is. Having a regular Tuesday and then suddenly being reminded that people are trying to police your body. And then you just have to go back to work."