Uma Thurman opens up about her ‘darkest secret’—abortion

“I wanted to keep the baby, but how?”

In an op-ed article for The Washington Post, Uma Thurman didn’t hold back as she revealed her “darkest secret”: she had an abortion in her “late teens,” when she “was accidentally impregnated by a much older man.”

It happened when she was still in the process of making her mark in the industry, so she didn’t have enough money to provide a stable home. After carefully weighing the circumstances, she and her family saw pregnancy termination as “the right choice,” she recalled, saying that her heart “was broken nonetheless.” 

The actress continued on to say that it was the “hardest decision of my life.” But while it has significantly caused her anguish and sadness, it has eventually led her to other things. “Choosing not to keep that early pregnancy allowed me to grow up and become the mother I wanted and needed to be.” 

She’s now a lovely mom of three children—her pride and joy: daughter Maya and son Levon (with ex-husband Ethan Hawke) and another daughter Luna (with ex-fiancé Arpad Busson). 

“My life has been extraordinary, at times filled with heartbreak, challenge, loss, and fear — just like so many women’s lives — but also marked, like theirs, by courage and compassion,” she wrote. “I conceived my beautiful, magical children with men whom I loved and trusted enough to dare to bring a child into this world.” 

“I have no regrets for the path I have traveled. I applaud and support women who make a different choice,” added Thurman. 

The powerful piece was released in criticism of the abortion law in Texas. “Under the Texas law, abortion is prohibited when a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is often before a woman knows she is pregnant,” according to CNN International. “There is no exception for rape or incest, although there is an exemption for ‘medical emergencies.’” 

In the headline, Thurman referred to the measure as “yet another discriminatory tool against those who are economically disadvantaged, and often, indeed, against their partners.”

“To all of you — to women and girls of Texas, afraid of being traumatized and hounded by predatory bounty hunters; to all women outraged by having our bodies’ rights taken by the state; and to all of you who are made vulnerable and subjected to shame because you have a uterus — I say: I see you. Have courage. You are beautiful. You remind me of my daughters,” she concluded.