Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has spoken out about the criticism she has faced for publicly documenting her egg-freezing process, asserting that she has no regrets about sharing her journey. The New York congresswoman stated that the negativity she has encountered is tied to the broader scrutiny women in the public eye often face.
"I was born a woman, period. And I have no control over that, and I wouldn’t want to change that," Ocasio-Cortez said in a social media post. "And the way I feel is, any negativity or judgment that I would receive at any point is negativity that I would receive for being a woman, whether I shared this information or not. So I might as well help others."
She announced on August 8 that she was undergoing egg freezing and subsequently shared updates about the process online. Ocasio-Cortez framed her decision to make the journey public as an effort to educate and empower other women regarding their reproductive options.
This public sharing has also fueled speculation regarding her personal life, including rumors of a split from her fiancé, Robert Riley. While Ocasio-Cortez has not publicly confirmed this, sources have indicated that the separation occurred some time ago.
Ocasio-Cortez reflected on the level of personal scrutiny she has faced since her unexpected primary win at age 28. She suggested that her male colleagues have not been subjected to the same degree of public dissection.
"It’s no secret to anyone that it’s been done in a way that is just simply not something my male colleagues have been subject to," she stated. "I have the privilege of being more resilient to this kind of negativity than someone who hasn’t."