Christina Applegate comes clean about the pain of her past abortion

In her new memoir, "You With the Sad Eyes," actress Christina Applegate shared that she had an abortion in 1991 at the age of 19. Her retelling of the incident revealed that it was a painful part of her life, and that she knew that she was "killing her child."

Key Takeaways:

Applegate revealed that she had an abortion in June 1991, while in an abusive relationship.
Her diary entries from the time admit that the abortion was "killing her child," but she felt obligated to have the abortion to continue her acting career.
In her memoir, she admitted that the abortion was among events "too painful" for her to put into words today.

The Details:

In her memoir, former "Married With Children" star Christina Applegate referenced entries from a diary she was keeping at the time of her abortion, noting that the experience was "too painful" to try and put into words today. According to Entertainment Weekly, her book states:

In late April 1991, I fell pregnant. I want to turn away from what happened, but it's all recorded in my diary. There are moments in my life that are too painful to force into narrative or meaning, so I'll let my voice from back then speak.

In the memoir, Applegate quoted snippets from her diary in recounting the former relationship with her abusive boyfriend, whom she does not name, and her subsequent abortion.

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"I always felt that if I ever got pregnant when I knew it was the wrong time, I wouldn't have any problem having an abortion," one entry said.

However, it's clear that Applegate wrestled with emotions in deciding to abort, with another diary entry admitting that it was "killing her child." She wrote with apparent bitterness (emphases added):

I'm f--king pregnant and I'm killing my child on Thursday. I'm thinking where the f--k can I go to recuperate from murder...

His family will hate me when they find out that I killed their family member because they don't believe in [abortion]. But I can't have this baby because I have work to do to entertain this f--king world. Besides, I can't... now.

On June 13, 1991, Applegate reportedly wrote (emphasis added), “it’s over,” adding, “I feel pretty okay. Just kind of woozy. That gives me no time to realize what I have done. Which is most likely the best right now.”

According to USA Today, Applegate also discusses a poem she wrote to her aborted child, which stated in part:

"But Mommy can’t be with you right now, but know she loves you more than any other miracle. And know that when it’s your time it will be your time."

Elsewhere in the book, Applegate reportedly discussed her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, her father's abandonment of her family when she was just five years old, and her mother's subsequent struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.

Applegate also disclosed that she was sexually abused by a caregiver as a young girl.

“I just needed to dump this sh** out somewhere," she told the Los Angeles Times of her memoir. "It’s almost like you guys are now my therapists in the world.”

Commentary:

Abortion activists like to paint abortion as a routine, everyday occurrence, but the way Applegate described her abortion reveals that the procedure can be incredibly traumatic.

Applegate described her abortion as painful, calling it "murder," and portrayed it straightforwardly as "killing her child." She lumped it in with other painful life experiences she needed to unload as part of her "therapy." She also expressed relief at feeling so woozy that she couldn't focus on what she had done to her baby. Though many women claim they don't regret abortion and that abortion has no consequences, Applegate's processing of the event is not so different from what many post-abortive women have expressed. Unfortunately this kind of post-abortion trauma is frequently downplayed or denigrated.

Applegate's remarks about having an abortion for the sake of her career might be straightforward and used as a justification... or they could be born of bitterness for feeling as if she had no other choice but to abort to maintain her career. It is difficult to know solely from her written remarks.

Reality Check:

Over the years, countless women — especially in the entertainment industry — have been sold the lie that the only way they can be successful is to kill their preborn children. Some have come to regret that they exchanged their own children for this lie.

It's not just women who are now pro-life that regret their abortions; some women who support abortion regret their abortions, too.

Live Action's video campaign, Can't Stay Silent, features the stories of numerous women who regret their past abortions. In addition, women who are suffering after abortions can find support groups, classes, retreats, social media groups, hotlines, books, and websites for help and healing on the web page.

Women like Applegate and men (like actor Kelsey Grammar) who experience post-abortion grief and regret need to know that they are not alone.

Thumbnail for Stolen Fatherhood: Men Share The Pain Of Abortion With Post-Abortive Women

The Bottom Line:

As Applegate's experience indicates, the killing of a preborn child leaves a lasting mark on the mother, as a mother's natural instinct is to protect and nourish her baby — not abort it.

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