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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Lily Allen ‘can’t remember’ how many abortions she’s had

820 replies

blossoming56 · 03/07/2025 08:05

Article in the Fail today about this.
I am pro choice but it did make me a bit uncomfortable. After a while a string of abortions - too many to remember - would surely leave its mark physically and emotionally not mention the cost on the NHS.
Everyone should have a choice but is there not an element of personal responsibility to just take precautions after the first few times?!

OP posts:
HairsprayBabe · 03/07/2025 10:15

@vovov this simply isn't true, the research bears out that the vast majority of women who access abortion care are happy with their choice and do not find the experience traumatic

emilysquest · 03/07/2025 10:16

"Woman accesses healthcare". Wow, what shocking news.

BloominNora · 03/07/2025 10:16

I am absolutely pro choice - any suggestion that we are starting to go down the same route as the US in respect of abortion rights is one of the few things that would actually get me taking to the streets to prevent.

But this particular discussion has me torn - I agree that to not remember and to have had four or five abortions would make me concerned for any young women who found themselves in that position.

However, openly discussing abortion is not a bad thing - abortion as a subject is something that needs to be in the light - just like periods, peri-menopause and menopause are becoming more openly discussed and less taboo, abortion, as a valid women's health care choice needs to have the stigma removed, so fair play to Lilly for openly discussing it.

As an individual it is absolutely her business and right to do what she wants, but as a woman in the public eye, with a platform that gets attention, she has a responsibility to consider the impact of what she is sharing on girls and women everywhere.

If she just had one or two abortions and was discussing her reasons and any impact or non-impact would be brilliant for making the topic less taboo.

My fear is the not remembering how many and the blase attitude to having multiple abortions is just ammunition for the anti-choice crowd who claim that it is being used as birth control and want to curtail abortion rights.

When the pro-choice side argue back, the anti-choice crowd will just point to articles like the one in the Mail (because they won't have listened to the actual podcast) and say well Lilly Allen did so others will be too - and the right wing have much louder and more powerful voices than the centre and the left!

Morgenrot25 · 03/07/2025 10:17

Katiesaidthat · 03/07/2025 10:15

Google is your best friend. A friend of mine is infertile due to a botched abortion.

Any medical procedure can have complications though. In the grand scheme of things early abortions are pretty safe. There's presumably more risk with later ones.

TheSwarm · 03/07/2025 10:17

Katiesaidthat · 03/07/2025 10:15

Google is your best friend. A friend of mine is infertile due to a botched abortion.

There is a world of difference between the risks of early medical abortions and surgical ones. Presumably all of Allen's were medical, where the risks are not much greater, if at all, than the contraceptive pill.

zanahoria · 03/07/2025 10:17

Call me a cynic but every time I hear a celebrity making 'controversial' comments I check how their career is doing, seven years since LIly released any music. Kate Nash is another one who has found a way to get her name in the papers.

blackbirdevensong · 03/07/2025 10:18

Requiring five abortions is not medical care anymore, is a terrible lifestyle choice.

Tandora · 03/07/2025 10:19

Literally none of your business what Lily Allen or any other woman does with their body or fertility.

MinnieBaldock · 03/07/2025 10:19

I think in this day and age there is really no need not to be able to use or get protection. You have untold birth pills the morning after pill, condoms. Men don't need to get something for the weekend at the barbers nowadays.
I can understand making a mistake once but wouldn't you be more carefull after that?. Im Sure abortion is a horrible experience, and it's up to the individual but continually getting pregnant then getting rid of it is careless and very dangerous.
Also a lot of people read the DM so it can't be as bad as people on here think, unless everyone on here knows better.I don't read any papers but I wouldn't read the Times because of its anti women history.
I also think Lily Allen loves the attention and why she has a pod cast god only knows.

Morgenrot25 · 03/07/2025 10:20

blackbirdevensong · 03/07/2025 10:18

Requiring five abortions is not medical care anymore, is a terrible lifestyle choice.

According to your judgemental approach perhaps. It's nothing to do with you though.

thestudio · 03/07/2025 10:20

I think lots of women (myself included) do not suffer any emotional scars at all from abortion, especially if done early. I just felt massive relief and still do.

And she's very open about previous alcohol and drug addiction, which increase the likelihood of having unprotected sex.

It's still a surgery with risks, though, so it's a bit stupid to laugh about it. And she's a cool girl, for sure in 90s style (I know she's a bit younger than that but it's the general vibe)

HairsprayBabe · 03/07/2025 10:20

@Katiesaidthat oh babe, contraception isn't 100% or did you think that was a fairy story?

I got pregnant on the pill and on the coil when I had my abortions. I'm currently on the implant, if I got pregnant tomorrow I would 100% have another abortion.

Or is that "allowed" under your made up rules, because at least I was trying to not get pregnant...

I agree contraception is KEY but people get pregnant on it all the time, because yes in an ideal world I wouldn't have to have had multiple abortions and I wouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place. But contraception doesn't always work, and I am so grateful to live in a country where I was able to choose not to continue two pregnancies I didn't want.

BadWoIf · 03/07/2025 10:20

I agree with you, OP.

I don't think having an abortion is something that should be undertaken lightly. As an intelligent woman, if she is repeatedly finding herself pregnant when she doesn't to be, she should be reviewing her contraception, checking that she's using it correctly and considering doubling up (eg hormonal contraception and a barrier form of contraception), not relying on multiple abortions to solve the problem.

It's irresponsible to present it as just another form of contraception.

Farmhouse1234 · 03/07/2025 10:20

Ihatelittlefriendsusan · 03/07/2025 08:28

Has it occurred to you that its deeply personal and probably not something she wants to delve into so has a flippant response to questions.

Fml how as women are we still tearing each other down in shit like this?!

Er she openly chose to talk about it on her very public podcast. She wasn’t even being interviewed, taken by surprise and put on the spot and felt under pressure to answer. She was very open.
Maybe she wanted to start a discussion.

Beeloux · 03/07/2025 10:21

It’s disgusting. Fair enough mistakes happen but surely after the first time you would get yourself on a more reliable method of contraception. I fell pregnant on the pill and continued the pregnancy. However I made sure to go straight on the implant as soon as my ds was born to not have a repeat.

Personally I think you should be allowed 3 then be made to pay privately for any future terminations.

I know someone who used to brag about how many abortions she had and laugh about it. Shes now on social media posting about her fertility problems. I often wonder if her late term abortions are a contributing factor.

ladyofshertonabbas · 03/07/2025 10:21

That’s quite a lot for her children to process/ deal with when asked about it in the playground.

crumblingschools · 03/07/2025 10:23

@Digdongdoo do you think women have abortions for shits and giggles? Do you think they get pregnant on purpose so they can have a fun day at the abortion clinic?

I’m assuming the bad situation is having an unwanted child.

I must admit after having my first pregnancy scan and seeing heartbeat, head etc I struggle with the it’s just a bunch of cells belief. I would struggle having an abortion and would be trying to ensure I didn’t get into that position to have to make that difficult choice.

Not only is counselling offered after an abortion but do is contraception advice. There is a reason for that

TheSwarm · 03/07/2025 10:23

Beeloux · 03/07/2025 10:21

It’s disgusting. Fair enough mistakes happen but surely after the first time you would get yourself on a more reliable method of contraception. I fell pregnant on the pill and continued the pregnancy. However I made sure to go straight on the implant as soon as my ds was born to not have a repeat.

Personally I think you should be allowed 3 then be made to pay privately for any future terminations.

I know someone who used to brag about how many abortions she had and laugh about it. Shes now on social media posting about her fertility problems. I often wonder if her late term abortions are a contributing factor.

Yeah, let's make a medical procedure inaccessible to poor people just because some people think it's immoral.

That's definately a good idea.

Do you think people who break bones too many times due to playing sport should pay for their treatment too?

Digdongdoo · 03/07/2025 10:24

Beeloux · 03/07/2025 10:21

It’s disgusting. Fair enough mistakes happen but surely after the first time you would get yourself on a more reliable method of contraception. I fell pregnant on the pill and continued the pregnancy. However I made sure to go straight on the implant as soon as my ds was born to not have a repeat.

Personally I think you should be allowed 3 then be made to pay privately for any future terminations.

I know someone who used to brag about how many abortions she had and laugh about it. Shes now on social media posting about her fertility problems. I often wonder if her late term abortions are a contributing factor.

Why 3? And if they can't afford private abortion number 4? What do you suppose should happen? Forced birth and an unwanted baby? Who is that better for?

CurlewKate · 03/07/2025 10:24

Beeloux · 03/07/2025 10:21

It’s disgusting. Fair enough mistakes happen but surely after the first time you would get yourself on a more reliable method of contraception. I fell pregnant on the pill and continued the pregnancy. However I made sure to go straight on the implant as soon as my ds was born to not have a repeat.

Personally I think you should be allowed 3 then be made to pay privately for any future terminations.

I know someone who used to brag about how many abortions she had and laugh about it. Shes now on social media posting about her fertility problems. I often wonder if her late term abortions are a contributing factor.

I don’t believe you.

ItsAllLogic · 03/07/2025 10:24

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

ScholesPanda · 03/07/2025 10:26

Abortion is meant to get women out of a bad situation. Any of us can end up in a bad situation once, twice. So it’s fine to have an abortion. But 5 times - then it starts to look like the situation is more of a choice than a combination of unfortunate circumstances.

Is it? Says who? It doesn't say that in the legislation does it? Who are you to have decided this on behalf of us all?

Also, this makes no logical sense as an argument does it- you do realise that plenty of first time abortions are entirely about choice rather than a bad situation don't you?

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 03/07/2025 10:26

An abortion would have a much lower cost to the nhs than continuing the pregnancy

HairsprayBabe · 03/07/2025 10:26

@Beeloux I got pregnant on the pill, and I got pregnant on the coil, nothing is 100% and accidents happen even if you are being ultra careful.

The only way to not get pregnant is to have no sex at all and I quite like a shag, so the risk will always be there.

GreenGully · 03/07/2025 10:26

KateMiskin · 03/07/2025 08:57

Well, if it were my DD, I would have a word with her about contraception and be concerned about her MH.
But big picture, I still think it's a better choice.
Every other day there is a post on MN about some 17-year-old with no job or support having a baby and dumping it on grandma to look after. I'd prefer 5 abortions to that

That is a totally different topic altogether.

Lily Allen is 40 years old. There is no justification for a grown woman to be unashamedly telling people she has used abortion as contraception on multiple occasions to the point of 'forgetting.'

I've always thought she was repugnant but now it's been confirmed.