Meadow Walker, the daughter of late actor Paul Walker, has opened up about getting an abortion in 2020 after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on Friday.
The landmark ruling, handed down on 24 June, strikes down constitutional rights to abortion and paves the way for individual US states to ban the procedure.
In an address to the nation, US President Joe Biden described the ruling as “a realisation of an extreme ideology and a tragic error” by the US’ top court.
Biden called on Americans to vote in lawmakers who will codify abortion rights into law and urged for protestors to remain peaceful.
Protests have already taken place across the nation in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami and outside of the Supreme Court in Washington DC.
According to research from Planned Parenthood, a non-profit that provides reproductive healthcare, the ruling will restrict access to abortion for approximately 36 million people of reproductive age across the US.
Taking to Instagram on Friday, Walker shared that she had chosen to get an abortion in 2020 during the pandemic.
Recalling her experience, the model said she had “battled” with the decision at first, but had found the procedure “a very private and personal experience”.
“I was lucky enough to have a great doctor who supported me through the debilitating process – with their help, I am able to be the happy and healthy person I am today,” she said.
“Now, knowing even more women won’t have the opportunity to seek safe termination and choose their bodies first is absolutely heartbreaking.”
Walker described the Supreme Court’s ruling as a “huge setback in history” and a “profound injustice to women across the US”.
“In a world that constantly marginalises females, this feels like the biggest assault of them all,” she added.
“Banning abortion doesn’t prevent abortions, it prevents safe abortions.”
Walker joins a long list of celebrities and high-profile figures who have condemned the Supreme Court’s decision.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama shared her heartbreak in a statement and expressed concerns that the ruling may drive women to seek illegal and unsafe abortions.
“I am heartbroken – for the teenage girl, full of zest and promise, who won’t be able to finish school or live the life she wants because her state controls her reproductive decisions; for the mother of a nonviable pregnancy who is now forced to bring that pregnancy to term,” Obama said.
