Latest Music News & Stories

Grammy Award-Winner Joanie Leeds Personal Story of Abortion in Response to Leaked SCOTUS Opinion

On Monday night (May 2), news broke about a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that the highest court in the land was likely going to overturn the historic Roe v. Wade decision that legalized access to safe abortions for women.

The news has shot around the world, angering many.

Videos by American Songwriter

One of those people is Grammy Award-winner Joanie Leeds, who took to Instagram on Tuesday to tell a story about her pregnancy, and her daughter and to share an ultrasound.

Said Leeds, who won her Grammy last year for Best Children’s Album: “I want to introduce to you fetus #2 of #4 that grew for a time in my body.

“With guidance from my doctor, I chose to have an abortion when she stopped growing so that I could safely remove her and lower the risk of infection & painful complications. It was also the less traumatic option over the long-drawn-out process of birthing her over an undetermined amount of time. Iโ€™ve never regretted it. And if it werenโ€™t for the option of abortion, my daughter wouldnโ€™t be here today.

“There are endless reasons as to why women choose to abort a pregnancy (rape, incest, domestic abuse, birth defects, financial situation, miscarriage.) Whatever the reason- our government, conservative party, the patriarchy, or rapists that currently sit on our Supreme Court should NEVER play a hand in the very personal decisions we women make about our bodies and family planning.

“If there is any day to share your personal story to destigmatize the issue, today is the day.”

#ShoutYourAbortion
#mybodymychoice

@plannedparenthood
@womensmarch @womensrights_news

President Joe Biden has also talked about working to “codify” Roe into law ahead of the SCOTUS judgment, which is anticipated to be released formally in a few months.

“The draft opinion calls into question the fundamental right to privacy โ€” the right to make personal choices about marriage, whether to have children, and how to raise them,โ€ shared President Biden on Twitter. โ€œThese are fundamental rights for Americans โ€” a critical part of who we are.”

Of course, many musicians have taken to social media to share their feelings about the news, including musicians such as Questlove, Jasob Isbell and more, which you can see below.

Jason Isbell

“I support a womanโ€™s right to choose, and โฆ@amandashiresโฉ and I give to the Yellowhammer fund in Alabama. Please give if you can.”

https://twitter.com/JasonIsbell/status/1521347361800441857

Questlove

“Welp. We got through the House Of Cards eraโ€ฆ. Now we bout to visit the Handmaids Tale era. Yโ€™all better get on the ball w these midterms smh”

Stevie Van Zandt

“For 40 years Iโ€™ve been telling the progressive intelligencia to stop using the word abortion. Because itโ€™s never been the issue. The issue is FUNDAMENTAL WOMENโ€™S EQUAL RIGHTS! Using the word abortion creates and demands the equal passion of anti-abortion. And now itโ€™s too late.”

Cher

“REPUBLICANS MAY HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN THEIR WISH.AFTER 49 YRS GOP SUPREME COURT POISED 2 STRIKE DOWN ROE V WADE. MY MOM SAID,’WHEN I WAS YOUNG,I HEARD, โ€œKEEP EM BAREFOOT & PREGNANT,โ€A WOMANS PLACE IS IN THE HOME’, ‘WOMEN DONT HAVE [BRAINS] 4 BUSINESS’. ‘DEATH DUE 2 BACK ALLY ABORTION’โ€

Illuminati Hotties

“our justice system is enacted violence against its people, the time to act on this was years ago”

Dee Snider

“So it looks like the Supreme Court is set to overturn Roe V. Wade. IN OTHER NEWS: SCOTUS is overturning Color V. Black & White TV. All televisions will be B&W the way God intended it! NEXT UP: Civil rights. #MAKEAMERICATHE50SAGAIN? Don’t just sit there people…DO SOMETHING!”

Bette Midler

#SCOTUS has revealed itself to be just another political tool, as the three new unabashedly biased conservatives plus the old push the court to undermine womenโ€™s rights. Shameful. They will never recover from this; itโ€™s right up there with #DredScott and #PlessyVFerguson.”

#RoeVWade has been settled law, guaranteed by the Constitution for 50 years; the 14th Amendment to the document that is the foundation of our countryโ€™s laws. If they strike down this amendment, what is to stop them striking down others that conservatives donโ€™t agree with?”