Harry Styles on overturning of Roe v. Wade: “It’s quite scary to see how far backwards we’re going”

A leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court suggested that the landmark ruling could soon be overturned

Harry Styles has spoken out about the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that suggested Roe v. Wade could be overturned, calling the move “so backwards”.

Earlier this month, a draft opinion penned by Justice Samuel Alito argued that the 1973 landmark ruling was “egregiously wrong from the start”, adding that “it is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

Though the draft was confirmed as authentic, draft opinions can be subject to multiple drafts and vote-trading, sometimes until just days before they are shared, so the court’s decision is not final. If the court goes through with overturning the landmark case, however, abortion would no longer be protected as a federal right in the US for the first time since 1973, and each state would be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion.

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Speaking to Howard Stern in a new interview [per Teen Vogue], Styles said of the potential of Roe v. Wade being overturned: “I think it’s quite scary to see how far backwards we’re going in a lot of ways. There should be backlash and uproar for these things. There’s a lot of people who are taking…the right steps to try to make positive things [happen].

Harry Styles
Harry Styles CREDIT: James Devaney/GC Images

“I think people who don’t like that are kind of clawing to grapple back any ground that they feel like they’ve lost, which never belonged to them in the first place.”

He added that, in his opinion, no one “should be able to make decisions about anyone else’s body – it doesn’t really make any sense to me”. “It’s just so backwards,” he said.

The pop star joins numerous voices from the entertainment world in speaking out in favour of abortion rights. Halsey aired a video of protest footage and facts about abortion statistics during her ‘Love And Power’ tour opener earlier this week and joined the likes of Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion and Phoebe Bridgers in signing a letter denouncing the draft opinion.

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Bridgers’ signature followed her speaking out against the potential of Roe v. Wade being overturned while sharing her own abortion experience, saying: “I had an abortion in October of last year while I was on tour. I went to planned parenthood where they gave me the abortion pill. It was easy. Everyone deserves that kind of access.”

Just today (May 19), the effects that Roe v. Wade being overturned could have in the States were made clear when the state of Oklahoma passed a bill banning abortion “at conception,” with exceptions only applicable in the case of a medical emergency, rape or incest. If Governor Kevin Stitt signs the bill, then it will go into effect immediately.

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