Alyssa Milano reveals she had two abortions in 1993

Suzy Byrne
Updated

Alyssa Milano is opening up about her personal experience with abortion.

The actress and activist, 46, who has been speaking out in protest as states pass restrictive abortion laws, shared her own abortion story in the latest episode of her podcast Sorry Not Sorry. Noting that one in four women in the U.S. will have the procedure by the age of 45, she revealed that she one of them — and detailed why she elected to have the procedure two times in her early 20s.

“In 1993, I had two abortions,” Milano shared. “I was in love for the first time in the breathless way you can only be in love when you are young. It was huge — overwhelming even. It filled every part of living. It was a joyful and exciting and powerful time in my life.”

While the Who’s the Boss alum didn’t say who her partner was, Milano fell in love with actor Scott Wolf that year while making Double Dragon. The pair moved in together months later after and became engaged just months after that.

Milano said she was on the pill because “she knew she was not ready to be a parent” as she pursued her career. Additionally, she was taking the controversial acne-fighting medicine Accutane, which is known to cause birth defects in pregnancies. And while she was using birth control, “I. Still. Got. Pregnant,” she said.

Milano talked about what an emotional experience it was for her, especially coming from a Catholic upbringing. But she knew she was “not equipped to be a mother and so I chose to have an abortion. I chose. It was my choice. And it was absolutely the right choice for me.”

She made it clear it was “not an easy choice” nor was it “something I wanted,” but it was “something that I needed — like most healthcare is.”

After the procedure, Milano remained on the pill and resumed her sexual relationship with her partner. However, she said the pill failed — again.

“A few months later I found out I was pregnant again,” she said with a sigh. And “once again I made the right decision to end the pregnancy.”

She said with Roe v. Wade in jeopardy as states set new anti-abortion laws, she’s reflected heavily on what she would have lost had she not been able to have those abortions as a young woman.

“I would not have my children — my beautiful, perfect, loving, kind an inquisitive children — who have a mother who was so very, very ready for them,” said Milano, who had her son in 2011 and daughter in 2014 after marrying her second husband David Bugliari in 2008. She went on to say she wouldn’t have married Bugliari, have had the career she’s had or the platform she’s built to “fight against oppression.”

Milano with her children — Milo and Elizabella:

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A post shared by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on

“Fifteen years after that first love had fizzled, my life would be completely lacking all its great joys,” she said. “I would never had been free to be myself — and that’s what this fight is all about: freedom.”

Milano said her reasons for having abortions are “real” — as are the reasons of all other women. “They are ours — and they none of your f**king business.”

Milano, also a #MeToo activist, has been a prominent voice as these anti-abortion bills have been passed around the country this year. She called for a Hollywood boycott of Georgia passed the law — and got a lot of backing. Her proposal of a sex strike in protest didn’t get as good a reception.

Milano is one of many famous women to come forward to share their stories of abortion amid the Trump era changes. Busy Philipps, who had one at 15, testified about abortion rights on Capitol Hill. Minka Kelly, Milla Jovovich, Ashley Judd and Jameela Jamil also shared their abortion stories.

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