“I’d get pregnant all the time”: Lily Allen says she “can’t remember” how many abortions she’s had

Singer and actress Lily Allen spoke candidly on her podcast about abortions, admitting that she “can’t remember” how many she’s had. On the Monday episode, her friend confessed to the same, and both touted the effectiveness of IUD contraception for ending that pattern.

Lily Allen gets candid about her abortions

The British star opened up about her past abortions with her friend Miquita Oliver on the June 30 episode of Allen’s podcast, “Miss Me?” The topic came up after Allen discussed how long she has relied on IUDs and how hard it was to prevent pregnancy without it.

“I have an IUD now, I think I’m on my third, maybe fourth, and I just remember, before that was a complete disaster area,” she said. “Yeah, I’d get pregnant all the time.”

What will no doubt rile up anti-abortion activists and right-wing pundits was the blasé and humorous manner in which she spoke about not recalling exactly how many times she terminated those pregnancies. She sang it to the tune of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

“Abortions, I’ve had a few, but then again, I can’t remember exactly how many.”

“I want to say four or five,” she laughed.

Oliver went on to say that she had “about five” abortions as well before she finally stuck with an IUD for birth control.

In 2022, just after the fall of Roe v. Wade, Allen revealed that she’d had an abortion and pushed back at the idea that the procedure is only acceptable in certain situations.

“I wish people would stop posting examples of exceptional reasons for having abortions,” she wrote on Instagram. “Most people I know, myself included, just didn’t want to have a f*cking baby AND THAT IS REASON ENOUGH! WE DON’T HAVE TO JUSTIFY IT.”

Backlash incoming

The usual conservative pundits either haven’t caught wind of this yet or are too busy attacking a Democratic mayoral primary candidate, but the comments coming out so far about Lily Allen and her abortions are skewing heavily negative.

“Lily Allen bragging about her 5 abortions and the comments being full of pro choice people being bro wtf this isn’t a flex, proves to me like her persona, Lily Allen is a chav,” said X user @PremierApril3.

“This has vaulted her to the top of the democrat primary polling,” joked @cujodp.

The right often tends to overstate the Democrats’ support for abortion, however. Even seemingly liberal folks are expressing concern that Allen may have gone too far.

“This is the kind of ridiculous shit that gives right wingers ammo,” wrote @asap_rodkey. “Most pro choice people I know at least abortions should not be used as a form of birth control. That is just a bit…excessive? No you don’t need a reason for an abortion but…learn from your mistakes?”

Allen’s 2022 comments should provide an answer to these critiques. The most ardent abortion supporters argue that regardless of how anyone engages with access to this form of healthcare, the right to bodily autonomy is paramount.