Sally Field, the celebrated Oscar-winning actor, has once again opened up about the traumatic illegal abortion she underwent in 1964, this time using her platform to rally voters ahead of the upcoming presidential election. In a powerful Instagram video, Field recalled the horrific experience she had before her acting career took off, using it as a call to support candidates like Kamala Harris who stand for reproductive rights.
Field first revealed her painful ordeal in her 2018 memoir In Pieces, but with the stakes high in the political landscape, she felt it was crucial to speak out again. “I’ve been so hesitant to do this, to tell my horrific story,” Field wrote in the caption to her video, adding, “It was during a time even worse than now… But I feel that so many women of my generation went through similar, traumatic events.”
The actor, now 77, shared graphic details about the abortion, which took place in Tijuana, Mexico, after her family doctor arranged for the procedure. “We parked on a really scroungy-looking street,” Field explained in the video, recalling the terrifying moment. After being handed an envelope of cash, she was instructed to walk alone into a building to hand over the money. Inside, Field was subjected to a painful abortion with no anesthetic, enduring the physical and emotional trauma of the illegal procedure.
“Just this absolute pit of shame,” Field said, reflecting on the painful memory of the event. “There was a technician giving me a few puffs of ether, but I felt everything. Then it got darker—I realized the technician was molesting me during the procedure.”
Field described how the shame was compounded by her upbringing in the 1950s, which instilled a sense of guilt over the experience. Despite the ordeal, Field went on to land her breakthrough role in the hit sitcom Gidget just months later. She became the “quintessential, all-American girl next door,” an image she said clashed with the deep shame she felt over her abortion.
But Field’s message wasn’t just about her past—it was a direct call for political action. The actor strongly urged voters to pay attention to the upcoming election and vote for candidates who will protect reproductive rights. “Please, pay attention to this election, up and down the ballot, in every state—especially those with ballot initiatives that could protect reproductive freedom. PLEASE. WE CAN’T GO BACK!!”
Field, who has endorsed Kamala Harris for president since Joe Biden’s decision to step down from the ticket, expressed her unwavering support for Harris’s candidacy, stating, “As a working woman, a mother and grandmother to a very diverse group, I support the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris with my whole 77-year-old heart.”
In her video, Field highlighted the similarity between her experience in 1964 and the struggles many women face today. She pointed out that women attempting to access safe abortions are still navigating dangerous, painful, and emotionally devastating situations. “It’s beyond, how you can go back to that and do that to our little girls and our young women, and not have respect and regard for their health and their own decisions.”
Field’s story, though deeply personal, serves as a stark reminder of what’s at stake in the fight for reproductive rights. With passion and urgency, she has called upon voters to take action, ensuring that future generations of women are spared the kind of traumatic experience she endured.
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