Britney Spears’ Confession Casts Light On National Abortion Coercion Problem

In a recent shocking turn of events, America’s Princess of Pop unlocked a national conversation on a taboo subject for countless women across this country. In passages from her new memoir, Britney Spears details undergoing intense pain from an ‘agonizing’ at-home abortion. Spears alleges that her serious boyfriend at the time, Justin Timberlake, was “sure he didn’t want to be a father.” In a one-two gut punch, she reveals that the pregnancy was, “a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much.” Spears alleges that contrary to her choice, she ultimately agreed with Timberlake’s decision to abort their child. She says that decision still haunts her to this day. “Twenty years later, [I] remember the pain of it, and the fear…if it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it.”

Now ask yourself, does that sound like an empowering picture of women’s choice to you?

Abortion coercion happens and it happens at alarming rates, yet hardly anyone talks about it. A recent study from earlier this year shows that this is a hidden epidemic in our country, with nearly 70% of abortions cited as coerced, unwanted, or inconsistent with women’s preferences. Megyn Kelly said it best on her podcast when she shared Spears’ news, commenting on her bravery and posing a million-dollar question: Why don’t we talk about this problem? 

I believe the biggest reason we don’t talk about abortion coercion, unfortunately, is because it’s an inconvenient truth for the business of abortion. Consider that, after the heart-breaking news about her abortion, not one stitch of communication came from Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, or Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America). How odd, particularly when these pro-abortion organizations glad-hand with celebrities like there’s no tomorrow and demand women “shout” with unalloyed pride about their abortions. But it was crickets from them in response to Spears’ abortion confession. These organizations should be leading the charge to break the silence, stop the chokehold, and blot out this injustice. We should all be encouraged to activate our voices, just like Britney Spears, and share our experiences of abortion coercion. 

In 2021, Spears’ conservatorship court case alleged that her team forced her to have an IUD inside her so she couldn’t get pregnant. Planned Parenthood responded swiftly, “We stand in solidarity with Britney and all women who face reproductive coercion.”

Well, where is that same vigor today when the reproductive coercion that she alleges tips the scales in favor of abortion? Where is your solidarity?

The truth is abortion is the currency of pro-abortion activists and the political currency of most Democrats. Good luck trying to get them to sever their own cash cow. Look no further than last year’s Planned Parenthood Annual Report. They raked in $1.9 billion in income – almost $1.9 million a day coming from taxpayers – while carrying out more than 374,000 abortions. 97% of the time, when a woman comes to them pregnant, she is sold an abortion. They charge a woman anywhere from around $600 for the earliest abortions to thousands of dollars for third-trimester abortions. And organizations like Planned Parenthood and others are also multi-million-dollar donors to Democrats.

They all know that abortion coercion is real, it happens, and it is detrimental to women. But none of them are willing to condemn it or even publicly acknowledge its existence. How can you be in the business of abortion and not recognize how it can be weaponized against women? You can’t mention reproductive coercion without admitting the role abortion plays.

I would encourage any of them to visit a pregnancy resource center and talk to women with unplanned pregnancies. I talk to them every week. I was one of those women.

When I confronted my child’s father with our unplanned pregnancy, he engaged in a full night of drinking. After he was drunk, he demanded I abort our child and threatened me. I don’t know how I mustered the courage, but I told him I would not be aborting our baby. After that, to my surprise, he never threatened me with abortion again. But not everyone’s story turns out like mine. And frankly, no one should ever be threatened, pressured, or forced to abort – by a partner, parent, physician or anyone.

Britney Spears’ confession has sparked a national conversation and I am thankful for it. As a country, we need to break the silence and allow women the freedom to publicly share our abortion coercion stories without fear or shame. And I invite abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood and others to join us in condemning abortion coercion and to stand in solidarity and elevate the stories of women who have been harmed by abortion. 

E.V Osment is the VP of Communications at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, communicating and fighting for the human right-to-life. 

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.