Entertainment

Jameela Jamil Reminded Twitter That Her Abortion Wasn't "A Mistake"

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Despite what her haters want to believe, Jameela Jamil's abortion left her in a good place. Still, she had to clap back on Twitter after receiving thousands of messages telling her she made the wrong decision. "Receiving THOUSANDS of messages about how I made a mistake having an abortion 7 years ago and how I must be a miserable person," she wrote. "I am in fact a happy, thriving multi millionaire, madly in love, with free time, good sleep and a wonderful career and life. But thanks for checking."

The actor is famously known for her hilarious and beloved role as Tahani in NBC's The Good Place and is in a relationship with singer-songwriter James Blake. She first opened up about her abortion when an anti-abortion law was passed in Georgia, one of the nine states that passed similar bans earlier this year, per NPR. She called the law "upsetting, inhumane, and blatantly demonstrative of a hatred of women, a disregard for our rights, bodies, mental health, and essentially a punishment for rape victims."

The law's announcement led many celebrities, including Jamil herself, to share their own experiences. "I had an abortion when I was young, and it was the best decision I have ever made," she wrote. "Both for me, and for the baby I didn’t want, and wasn’t ready for, emotionally, psychologically and financially. So many children will end up in foster homes. So many lives ruined. So very cruel."

In another tweet, she said her "life *is* more important to me than an unborn fetus’ one. Suck on that."

Her response to haters on Twitter garnered 13.5 thousand retweets and 154 thousand likes. And in a follow-up tweet, she thanked the kind people of the internet for the love and support. "Didn’t expect to receive so much love for [the above] tweet," she replied. "And anyone who feels uncomfortable with the fact that I shouted out what my abortion allowed me personally to go on to achieve...I believe it’s important for brown girls to see brown girls win big and be unashamedly proud."

The replies to her comment were filled with, yes, some more hate, but mostly shared experiences from people who thanked her for being so transparent and vulnerable with the world. As a proclaimed activist, Jamil is equally honest with fans about other, often stigmatized difficulties she has faced, like her experience with an eating disorder — proving that speaking out is an important component to creating real change in the world.