Naya Rivera had an abortion in 2010, on her one day off from ‘Glee’

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I have long believed that the central issue behind being pro-choice is the fundamental right to privacy. Every man and woman should be able to make their own reproductive choices without government intervention. However, I also believe that the key to making sure that every American woman has access to every reproductive choice is to put real faces on the issue. I think it genuinely helps when women in the public sphere talk about why they chose to have an abortion, or why they want insurance to cover birth control, or why shutting down Planned Parenthood led to an epidemic in HIV. So I think it’s good that Naya Rivera is talking openly about her choice to have an abortion back when she was on Glee. Naya has written a memoir (Sorry Not Sorry), and she describes what happened. People has some assorted quotes:

She feels older than her years: “I’ve done a lot of living. I’m a 79-year-old trapped in a 29-year-old’s body.”

Battling anorexia as a teen: “By the time I was a sophomore, I started feeling that what had begun as a game had maybe gone too far. I just avoided food at all costs. If my mom had packed a lunch for me, I’d either trash it or find some excuse to give it away.”

She didn’t understand her anorexia until she started writing about it: “I was so young and it just seemed to be the norm. Everyone was going through similar stuff. I had no way of knowing if I was going through it worse. I was juggling my feelings and it makes me sad that there are girls still going through that 15 years after I went through it.”

She found out she was pregnant in 2010: Rivera found out she was pregnant with actor Ryan Dorsey’s child in late 2010 – just weeks after breaking up with him to focus on her career. Rivera says she did not reveal the pregnancy to Dorsey, whom she wed in 2014 and is now the father of her 11-month-old son. Instead, she made the call to put her career first and terminated the pregnancy during her one day off from filming an episode of Glee. “It was very scary to open up about everything,” says Rivera. “It’s not something a lot of people talk about, but I think they should. I know some people might read it and say, ‘What the Hell?’ But I hope someone out there gets something out of it.”

Her son, Josey: “I hope Josey will read it one day. I hope it gives him a better perspective on the issues women face.”

[From People]

Wow, she had the abortion on her one day off from Glee? That’s tough. This also goes against many of the false narratives that so many anti-choice activists try to sell, that abortion “hurts” a woman’s chances of carrying a child to term later on (Naya gave birth to a healthy child in 2015), or that abortion “ruins” a relationship – when it’s clear that Naya did what was right for her at the time, and years later got back together with the man who became her husband.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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60 Responses to “Naya Rivera had an abortion in 2010, on her one day off from ‘Glee’”

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  1. Lucy says:

    I’ve been through a period of not liking her very much, but this makes me respect her a lot more. I can’t even imagine what she must have felt like back then. Good for her for speaking out on it, and nice to see she’s doing well now.

  2. Sayrah says:

    I admire her for sharing because I’ve only shared mine with a select few people. But yeah, I was young and not with the father. I went to planned parenthood and they helped me.

    It’s been 15 years and I’m a happily married woman who easily got pregnant and had 3 full term wonderful babies with my husband. I also attend church and continue to be vocally pro choice. My only regret about it is being in the situation to begin with.

  3. Lucy says:

    I had an abortion at 16, my boyfriend and I were just not ready. 10 Years later and we are married and have a healthy 2 year old girl. I’m lucky that I’m in Canada and it was free and I didn’t need parental consent, It was the best decision we made! We both went on to get a higher education and are successful business owners, we can provide more for our daughter now than we could have for any child back then.

    • Lucy says:

      Cheers to you, fellow Lucy!! It’s nice to learn about these type of stories ending well. All the best to you and your family!!

    • Victoria says:

      If only *adults* could be more responsible by taking preventive actions (condoms, etc) in the first place, there wouldn’t be a need for an abortion. Sorry but to me this isn’t about whether women is given a choice to abort or not. This is a matter of being responsible for preventing a pregnancy which should not have happened in the first place.

      • PoliteTeaSipper says:

        I got pregnant on the pill + condoms twice. Yes, I know how to take it correctly. Aborted both times. (I have a heart condition that would make me become another pregnancy related death statistic). Even with my disease I had to search for a Doctor who would do a tubal ligation on a woman under 30 “because you might decide it’s worth the risk.” Um, no.

        We chose life, my life. My husband and I have no regrets. Your view that this is the adult’s fault for not being “responsible” makes me sick.

      • Ange says:

        Shit happens though, y’know? And if these people ARE so irresponsible as to forgo birth control I’m happy they aren’t forced to carry their irresponsibility to term and into parenthood.

  4. justme says:

    We live in a culture of TMI. That’s all I have to say.

    • Katie says:

      We really do. The need to “speak out” about everything baffles me.
      What people do in their private lives doesn’t need to be made public.

      • Don't kill me I'm French says:

        I have less issue with Naya talking about her abortion than Jennifer Lawrence talking about her body disfunction or her lack of hygiene for example.

      • Katie says:

        @French
        I’ll give you that for sure. Naya, I’m certain, helped many women by what she shared.

        I think it’s just overload at this point that every celebrity needs to share every little private detail.

      • justme says:

        D-list celebs don’t want privacy. They put their entire lives on social media so they can get attention. And when the attention is negative, they get all upset.

      • Marigold says:

        Says the person on a celebrity gossip site. I’m sure you just hate over-sharing.

    • Naya says:

      This one of those issues on which theres a code of silence and that code sustains the stigma, perpetuates the misconceptions and paves the way for anti-abortion policies. I’m proud of my namesake and all the women sharing here for resisting the “code”. This is how cultures shift and policies change.

    • Pandy says:

      I tend to agree. Happy that she spoke out positively on a stigmatizing issue – but who is she that she needs a memoir?? She’s not even 30 yet, right?
      >

      • Boxy Lady says:

        I understand what you’re saying but she’s been acting professionally since she was 4 or 5. I remember she played Redd Foxx’s granddaughter on TV waaaayy back in the day.

    • ell says:

      tmi are celebs who talk about how good their sex lives are or other stupid crap like that. issues like anorexia and abortion are most definitely not tmi, but things that lots people could benefit from hearing, as it’s a way to both normalise and humanise these sort of problems that happen to be incredibly stigmatised.

  5. Betti says:

    Respect – it takes guts to come out and admit something like this, Its never an easy choice to make and people need to understand this – too many people (men and women) buy into the anti-choice BS. For these morons its not about life, its about control.

  6. paolanqar says:

    when is TMI too much?
    Yes it takes guts to do it and to speak about it but I think some things should remain personal and shouldn’t be shared with the wrold.
    It is a delicate issue and there are not right or wrong answers.

    • Don't kill me I'm French says:

      +1

    • CornyBlue says:

      A lot of people find strength in other people’s stories. We are all very hush hush about abortions and such when it is nothing to be so secretive about and something a lot of people go through.

    • KP says:

      Okay, but what makes you uncomfortable doesn’t mean other people need to stop talking about it. This culture of shame about reproduction, and especially abortion, only silences the women who have gone through it. If it’s such a complicated issue, how would not acknowledging it be any better?

    • Marigold says:

      Says you. Other women want to read these stories. Why should you be able to set the bar for everyone else? If you didn’t want to read about her abortion, you shouldn’t have clicked.

  7. Don't kill me I'm French says:

    It was not an easy choice and it is not easy to talk about it publicly.

    • Marigold says:

      For many women, it IS an easy choice. Stop perpetuating the myth that all women agonize over abortion. Some have a hard time; some don’t.

  8. Mel M says:

    I’m happy for everyone including Naya that went on to easily get pregnant after having an abortion. However, just because some people have no problem does take away the fact that it can effect fertility for others. I am 100% certain that my abortion years ago affected my fertility and was the reason I ended up having to do IVF. I ended up being dx with PID which exacerbated my endo.

  9. justme says:

    I am pro-choice for everyone but myself. I had an abortion years ago and am sometimes still haunted by it. I thought it was no big deal at the time. I had never seen a picture of a 2 month old fetus. It’s not a blob. Having that abortion caused me psychological and emotional damage when I realized what I had done. I don’t know if this makes sense to anyone but me. I think many people are too flippant about abortion. Having one should be a carefully thought out decision weighing all the consequences.

    • Kitkatk8 says:

      Right there with ya

    • Steph says:

      Pro-choice just means that you support abortion being legal for everyone, not that you want people to get abortions. I’m sorry that you had such a terrible trauma. Maybe if more people felt comfortable speaking openly about abortion, people would understand better what was entailed in the procedure, as well as why it’s necessary to have a safe and legal way to terminate pregnancies. Kudos to Naya for sharing her story.

    • jennifer says:

      I’m really sorry to read this. I hope you can heal and find peace.

    • Lambda says:

      Justme, I’m sincerely sorry for your experiences. I don’t think you deserve to torment yourself like this, nobody does. I apologize if I’m out of line, but I hope you can reach a place of forgiveness (for yourself).

    • Ronaldinhio says:

      I hope that you can get some help to be able to accept the choice you have made and move forward
      I am also so so glad and grateful that you are able to remain pro choice allowing other women the right to choose even in the face of a bad experience yourself
      Be well x

      • justme says:

        Thanks to all of you for the kind words. I have made peace with myself with therapy but sometimes I still think about it. Maybe because I never had children. I understand where pro-lifers are coming from but I still am pro-choice. That said, I only support abortions in the first trimester unless there is a medical reason. Late term abortions are murder as far as I’m concerned since babies born at 6 months survive and are fine.

      • K2 says:

        Yeah, my pro-choice involves thinking that women should be able to ask for an end of pregnancy at any time, but there should be a section and NICU involvement at 24/25 weeks on. Nobody should be forced to carry a child, but at the point of viability, the child should have the chance at independent life.

  10. Kimmy says:

    Good for her for being so open about this! I’m not really a fan of hers, but it takes balls to put this in a book!

    Being pregnant with my first child currently, I think I have become even more pro choice than I ever was before. The right to choose how and what happens to my body has been something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I am so thankful for having a supportive partner that is trusting me To choose the best way to get our baby into the world. I am lucky that I have not been in the position to have to consider abortion, but while in college I did frequent Planned Parenthood. I firmly believe that having access to that kind of care kept me and several of my friends out of much worse situations.

    Not to get all political, but I’m from Indiana and I know plenty about Mike Pence and his views about women and women’s health issues. I think what scares me so much about men like him getting a larger platform is if they are so hellbent on legislating what we can and cannot do with our bodies, how long will it be before they start trying to dictate HOW we deliver our babies and the type of postpartum care we receive. It’s not that far of a stretch when you think about it!

    • Nat says:

      “…they are so hellbent on legislating what we can and cannot do with our bodies.”

      I have to take issue with this. They do not want to legislate what you can and cannot do with your body, rather they want to legislate what you can and cannot do with another life’s body.

      • K2 says:

        That simply is not true. You are forcing a woman to undergo the huge risks, changes and lifelong health costs of carrying to term when you seek to deny all abortion. Denying that fact is a lie.

        And if they are so obsessed by the preservation of life, why are they not mandating organ donation? Or blood donation? Why are these no-risk, negligible inconvenience, life-saving measures left up to the individual? Where is the campaigning?

  11. aims says:

    I’ve had an abortion at 16 as well. I made the best choice for myself at the time and I stand by it. I went on to marry the right man for me and had three much loved and wanted children. The pro choice movement to me is that it’s your business . Whatever circumstances that led you to have to make your decision is your business . The most basic right is having the right to make decisions regarding your body and life . It belongs to you. I think it’s important to get rid of the stigma attached to abortion . There shouldn’t be any shame and how you react to making your choice either , no judgment .

    I will forever be thankful that when I made my choice, I was able to have an abortion without fear and judgment . It’s how it should be .

  12. Nancy says:

    I sure would hate having a feeling of a 79 year old woman at 29. She seems troubled, but growing with time. Wonder what Trump has in mind for a punishment for abortion. Asshat. Good luck to Naya, may she have peace and some fun and feel like her true age….goes fast girl.

  13. Malificent says:

    My best friend had an abortion at 16. She ended up staying with her boyfriend for 8 years. His “troubled teen” years evolved into serious mental illness as well as physical/psychological abuse toward my friend and threats towards her and her family. Thankfully, my friend was able to eventually get out of the relationship. She later married a good guy and had a child with him.

    If she had had a child with her first boyfriend, it would have been exponentially more difficult for her to practically and legally end her relationship with him.

  14. Bread and Circuses says:

    And back to work the next day? Phew, that must have been rough on her. I haven’t had an abortion myself, and I realize it must make a big difference how early in the pregnancy you choose to terminate, but I’ve also heard it’s not something you bounce back instantly from. A hard choice, and she’s brave to talk about it.

    • justme says:

      Some women are very cavalier about it which I find disturbing. She seems to be one of them. It’s not a decision one should take lightly is what I mean.

  15. Jane says:

    I had two abortions after I got married in 1998, First one was in 1999..I had just started working at a large multinational conglomerate as an electronics engineer and my husband was in an entry level Mechanical engineer job and doing various courses to get ahead. My decission to have an abortion was not so much about advancing my career but financial one. We didn’t have a nest egg and living in a small room in his parents house. Fetus was not more than 10 days old….I had severe morning sickness and could feel the fetus cooking inside me. It was a relief after I had the abortion. My husband was leaning more toward continuing with the pregnancy but I would have none of it. Abortion didn’t affect our relationship. We had a baby daughter in Dec 2002. In July 2004 I again became pregnant. We were financially doing well we had brought a house, had a nest egg . But I didn’t want go through with it for 2 reasons my daughter was too young and I didn’t want to go through another 3 hellish months of morning sickness. This time my husband supported my decision to terminate a 10 days tops pregnancy. We had another baby daughter in march 2008.
    Like anybody else I too have regrets, guilt etc. But none associated with abortions. Apart from my husband nobody knows about them.
    ETA-went back to regular routine next day

    • justme says:

      I’m sorry but you had an abortion because you didn’t want to go through morning sickness but then got pregnant and had the baby? that morning sickness was OK? it’s the cavalier attitude about abortion that I find disturbing.

      • Trixie says:

        Ugh. You do you and let other people do them. That’s what pro-choice is about. If you think abortion is a big decision that shouldn’t be made lightly, that’s your opinion and what’s right for your body. But not everyone thinks the same way. So what if this person wanted an abortion at the time for whatever reason and then decided to have a baby later. That was what was right for them. You do what’s right for you. They don’t have to be the same thing.

      • Jane says:

        Hi Justme, if the decision was left to me I would not have had another child. My husband wanted another child very badly…I was under extreme duress to have other. In marriage you have to compromise sometimes and I did. The 2nd time around the morning sickness was 100 times worst had to be hospitalised many times in those three months. I have another lovely daughter so it was worth it I guess

      • Uglyartwork says:

        Jane, I’m sorry someone on the internet just has to be cruel to you over your decision. Her comment to you is 100% over-the-line.

        You owe no one an explanation.

  16. Rachillnz says:

    I used to hide the fact that I have had not int but two abortions. Now I am open about it with friends and find that has really helped me to accept it. It seems contraception does not like me, I am never allowed the pill again as I got pregnant on it twice, now I can only have the Depp injection which SUCKS.
    If a friend or a friend of a friend is pregnant I always reach out and answer all their abortion related questions. Many females have thanked me for this in the past and found it really good to talk about it with someone who has been there. Otten there is no one to talk to as people are closed off on the subject.

  17. Betsy says:

    No idea who she is, but glad she got what she needed.

    Tangentially: it is depressing to me that pregnancy and birth still have the power to derail women’s much-wanted careers. But I suppose it makes sense given how little respect we pay women and mothers.