Taylor Swift, Carole King, Cher, Kendrick Lamar, & Many More Speak Out on Overturning of Roe v. Wade

Kathryn Milewski -

It's been a few days now since it was announced the United States Supreme Court would overturn the landmark 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade, in which the Court ruled the Constitution of the United States generally protects a pregnant person's liberty to choose to have an abortion.

Now, following the overturning of that ruling, state leaders can decide what a woman can do with her body, and it’s expected abortion will be illegal in at least 16 states moving forward. If restrictions on abortion are considered, that number is expected to go up to 23 states – almost half of the country.

While a leak hinted that the decision was coming, the news was and remains shocking and disturbing for many Americans. 61% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or some cases, according to the Pew Research Center. The decision also came with a frightening remark from justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote the Supreme Court “should reconsider” previous cases such as “Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” which protect contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.

Many musicians have reacted to the news over these last 4 days, either online or while performing at live shows.

Take a look at several reactions below.

Social Media

Several artists took to social media – especially Twitter – to express their discontent over the ruling. The lineup ranged from 80s pop stars to rappers, famous songwriters, and even a beloved Broadway diva.























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A post shared by Stevie Nicks (@stevienicks)


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A post shared by Gracie Abrams (@gracieabrams)



Live Show Moments

Artists have also spoken up about the ruling during concerts as well. Many of those moments occurred during the recent Glastonbury Festival that concluded last weekend (June 26). From powerful speeches to musical forms of protest, singers have talked to their crowds about the overturning of Roe v. Wade in different, impactful ways.

Pearl Jam

During a recent live show, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder spoke to the crowd, urging them to support a woman's right to choose. "No one, not the government, not politicians, not the Supreme Court should stand in the way of access to abortion, birth control, and contraceptives." The band later posted Vedder's speach to their Instagram account, along with a phone number for fans to text.

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A post shared by Pearl Jam (@pearljam)


Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar ended his headlining set at Glastonbury with a reference to the Supreme Court's ruling. Surrounded by dancers and wearing a silver crown of thorns and blood dripping down his face, he repeated the phrase: “they judge you, they judge Christ. God speed for women’s rights” before dropping his mic and leaving the stage.


Lorde

Toward the end of her set at Glastonbury, Lorde replaced Robyn’s monologue from “Secrets of a Girl (Who’s Seen It All)” with a speech about reproductive rights. “Welcome to sadness,” she said. “The temperature is unbearable until you face it. You wanna know a secret, girls? Your bodies were destined to be controlled and objectified since before you were born. That horror is your birthright.”

“Here’s another secret – you possess ancient strength, ancient wisdom,” Lorde continued. “Wisdom that has propelled every woman who came before you. That wisdom is your birthright. I ask you today, make accessing that wisdom your life’s work, because everything depends on that. F--- the Supreme Court.”


Olivia Rodrigo & Lilly Allen

Also during Glastonbury, Olivia Rodrigo and Lilly Allen teamed up to serve a creative middle finger to the Supreme Court. First, Rodrigo named each of the judges responsible for the ruling – Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh – and declared her hatred of them all. She then brought on Lily Allen for a rousing rendition of her 2009 banger “F--- You.”

Democrat congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez even praised Rodrigo for the moment on Twitter. She tweeted a "thank you" to “every artist, athlete and entertainer who uses their platform to speak out in industries where there is immense pressure to say & do little bc many believe silence is more profitable.” She added: “Culture matters. Moments like these make a huge, huge difference.”


Billie Eilish

Kendrick Lamar wasn't the only Glastonbury headliner to speak up about the ruling. On Saturday night, during her closing set, Billie Eilish told the crowd, “today is a really, really dark day for women in the US. I’m just going to say that because I can't bear to think about it any longer at this moment.”


Megan Thee Stallion

After calling out her home state of Texas for being "embarrassing," Megan Thee Stallion led a crowd of thousands at Glastonbury in saying a “my body, my motherf---ing choice” chant. "I want to have it on the record that all the motherf---ing hot girls and the hot boys do not support this bulls--t," she said beforehand.


Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers has been a loud voice supporting abortion rights since last year – after Texas outlawed abortion. She's even opened up to fans about her own abortion story. When we at Live365 went to go see Bridgers for her show in Asbury Park, New Jersey (where we covered a story about her performance of the Springsteen song "Stolen Car"), the singer mentioned her support of abortion rights. "No seriously," she added afterwards, "people have walked out of my shows after I've said that."

It's no surprise Bridgers made a statement at Glastonbury after the recent ruling by the Supreme Court. Like Megan Thee Stallion, she got her crowd to shout "F--- the Supreme Court" before performing the next song in her set.


If you would like to show your support for abortion rights in America just like the musicians above, you can do so by visiting the National Network of Abortion Funds website to connect with your local abortion fund and make a donation. For several other ways to learn about and support abortion, visit the Planned Parenthood website. And like all the artists: remember to protest when you can!


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Article Image: A crowd advocating for the right to abortion. (richscalzo via DepositPhotos.)