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Chelsea Handler Opens Up About Her 2 Abortions at 16

She applauded U.S. reproductive laws for allowing her to rectify her "irresponsible" teenage actions with a "thoughtful" decision

Comedian Chelsea Handler opened up about her two abortions at age 16 in a personal essay for Playboy Magazine's "Freedom Issue." She also applauded U.S. reproductive laws for allowing her to rectify her "irresponsible" teenage actions with a "thoughtful" decision.

Handler, 41, wrote that she first got pregnant when she was going through a "bad stage" in her life and having unprotected sex with her boyfriend at the time.

"The idea that I would have a child and raise it by myself at that age, when I couldn’t even find my way home at night, was ridiculous," Handler wrote. "My parents recognized that, so they acted like parents for one of the very first times in my life and took me to Planned Parenthood."

"When it was over, I was relieved in every possible way."

Handler said she got pregnant again later that year and could barely afford to pay the $230 for a safe abortion at Planned Parenthood.

"We all make mistakes all the time," she wrote. "I happened to f*** up twice at the age of 16. I’m grateful that I came to my senses and was able to get an abortion legally without risking my health or bankrupting myself or my family. I’m 41 now. I don’t ever look back and think, God, I wish I’d had that baby."

"It’s infuriating to hear politicians make bogus promises about overturning [Roe v. Wade] that has protected us for more than 40 years."

She also described her anger at political efforts to "subvert" the 1973 ruling by "passing lesser laws that close clinics or restrict abortion access for women."

Still, Handler said she does not believe Roe v. Wade is in danger of being overturned.

"We’re too far ahead of the game," Handler wrote. "Once you go forward in history, you don’t go backward."

Handler's essay comes in light of Monday's Supreme Court decision that threw out a Texas law that was found to place an "undue burden" on women seeking abortions in the guise of protecting women's health.

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