Speaking at the Women in the World summit, Ashley Judd explained her very personal connection to the fight for women’s reproductive autonomy in Georgia. “I’m a three-time rape survivor. And one of the times I was raped, there was conception,” she told moderator Katie Couric. “And I’m very thankful I was able to access safe and legal abortion.” Judd explained that both she and her rapist were from Kentucky, and that she lived in Tennessee. In both of those states, unconvicted rapists still have paternity rights. “I would’ve had to co-parent with my rapist,” she said.
Judd is one of dozens of actors and writers who vowed to challenge productions filming in Georgia if the state’s so-called “heartbeat bill” is passed. The bill has passed both Georgia’s house and senate, and the governor has until May 10 to sign it into law. The bill bans abortion after six weeks, or two weeks after a missed period. Georgia is a key shooting location for films and TV today. If a boycott results, it could mean millions lost in business for the state. “Democracy starts with our skin,” Judd told the audience. ”We’re not supposed to regulate what we choose to do with our insides.”
