In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion, Halsey opened up about their own procedure and how it saved their life.
“I miscarried three times before my 24th birthday. It seemed a cruel irony that I could get pregnant with ease but struggled to maintain a pregnancy,” the New Jersey native, 27, told Vogue in an interview published on Friday, July 1. “One of my miscarriages required ‘aftercare,’ a gentle way of saying that I would need an abortion, because my body could not terminate the pregnancy completely on its own and I would risk going into sepsis without medical intervention.”
They “Without Me” artist added: “During this procedure, I cried. I was afraid for myself and I was helpless. I was desperate to end the pregnancy that was threatening my life.”
In Halsey’s essay, they expressed their stance on reproductive rights following the SCOTUS ruling last month.
“Many people have asked me if, since carrying a child to term after years of struggling to do so, I have reconsidered my stance on abortion. The answer is firmly no,” the “Nightmare” singer added. “In fact, I have never felt more strongly about it. My abortion saved my life and gave way for my son to have his. Every person deserves the right to choose when, if, and how they have this dangerous and life-altering experience. I will hold my son in one arm, and fight with all my might with the other.”
Halsey announced their surprise pregnancy in January 2021. Son Ender, whom they share with partner Alev Aydin, was born that July.
“Becoming a parent has changed their life forever and gave them a new purpose,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in December 2021 of the couple, who were first linked in March 2019. “They are incredibly grateful and inspired on so many levels. They’ve been spending a lot of time adjusting to being a new parent and really embracing these first few months of parenthood. … They feel complete and over the moon in love with Ender.”
While Halsey and the film producer, 39, have blissfully adapted into raising their little one, the “Eastside” performer was initially wary of childbirth given their past pregnancy losses.
“I rewrote my will during the third trimester of my pregnancy. After my past experiences, I was prepared for the worst,” they recalled to Vogue on Friday. “I gave detailed instructions regarding the donation of my organs should I die or be declared brain-dead, meaning if my heartbeat on but my brain wasn’t functioning, the state would have permission to cut into my warm and still flush flesh and take my organs to save other lives.”
Halsey continued: “I thought back to this moment for a fleeting second as my son entered the world. There was the same sterile smell. The same white sheets and unnerving noises of beeping and commotion. But when Ender was born, the world went silent. … A tear of happiness that my body knew exactly what to do. My life’s long chapter of miscarriages and abortions was reduced to a page in that moment.”
The “Him & I” artist has previously been candid about one of their miscarriages, revealing they had a concert to perform several hours later.
“I’m like, ‘I have to cancel this show!’” they recalled to Rolling Stone in July 2016. “And everyone’s kind of like, ‘Well, it’s Vevo LIFT, and it’s 3 million impressions, so …’ No one knew what do to. It’s the angriest performance that I’ve ever done in my life. That was the moment of my life where I thought to myself, ‘I don’t feel like a f—king human being anymore.’”
Halsey explained at the time: “This thing, this music, Halsey, whatever it is that I’m doing, took precedence and priority over every decision that I made regarding this entire situation from the moment I found out until the moment it went wrong. I walked offstage and went into the parking lot and just start throwing up.”
