Anne Hathaway has become the subject of online criticism from conservative figures who have resurfaced her past statements on reproductive rights. The backlash began Tuesday after an anti-abortion website highlighted comments the actress made in a 2022 appearance on the television show "The View," shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
During the program, Hathaway emphasized the significance of a young woman's "reproductive destiny" and shared her "own personal experience with abortion." She stated, "I don’t think we talk about this enough; abortion can be another word for mercy." Hathaway also drew a parallel between the film "The Devil Wears Prada" and reproductive rights, noting that the film's female characters built their careers in a country that previously protected such rights. "We know that no two pregnancies are alike and it follows that no two lives are alike, that follows that no two conceptions are alike. So how can we have a law — how can we have a point of view on this that says we must treat everything the same?" she questioned. Hathaway concluded her remarks by saying, "And where I come at it from is when you allow for choice, you allow for flexibility, which is what we need in order to be human."
A clip of these comments was shared on X by LifeNews.com, a website that describes itself as "fighting abortion." This prompted reactions from several conservative commentators. Fox News host Laura Ingraham called the remarks "truly sick," while former George W. Bush speechwriter and Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen described Hathaway as "a monster."
Riley Gaines, a swimmer and activist, wrote that Hathaway "thinks it can be merciful to end human life deemed inconvenient. And all the women of The View smile and nod along in agreement." The right-wing social media account "Libs of TikTok" characterized the actress's perspective as "DEMONIC."
The criticism follows a recent instance where actor Randy Quaid, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, publicly criticized Hathaway's casting in the sequel to "Days of Thunder." Hathaway is pregnant and had appeared with co-star Tom Cruise in a teaser for the film, noting it would be made after her baby is born.