Olivia Rodrigo: Abortion Bans Are Pro-Control, Not Pro-Life

Olivia Rodrigo is once againusing her platform to advocate for reproductive freedom, speaking with the Center for Reproductive Rights ahead of her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival and asserting that abortion bans are pro-control, not pro-life.

The conversations, released this week, find Rodrigo sitting down with Center for Reproductive Rights President and CEO Nancy Northup alongside legal and policy experts Autumn Katz, Nimra Chowdhry, and Meetra Mehdizadeh. Over the course of the videos, Rodrigo discusses the legal landscape surrounding reproductive rights in the US, the impact of abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, and why public education remains essential.

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During the conversations, Rodrigo reflects on why reproductive rights have become such an important cause for her, calling the current landscape and the results from “terrifying,” while encouraging viewers to learn more about the issue and become involved however they can. Speaking about abortion restrictions enacted across the country, she noted that the laws are about controlling bodily autonomy rather than protecting life, saying they sound “not very pro-life” but rather “pro-control.”

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In one of the discussions, the Center’s representatives point to several cases that have emerged in the years since Dobbs, including that of Amanda Zurawski, whose life-threatening pregnancy complications became one of the nation’s most widely covered examples of the consequences of abortion restrictions. The panel also discusses another woman who was airlifted for emergency medical care after being denied treatment during a pregnancy complication, illustrating the real-life impact abortion bans have had on women facing serious medical emergencies.

Another clip from the Center for Reproductive Rights with Rodrigo focused on maternal healthcare and midwifery. Rodrigo asks why states such as Georgia maintain some of the nation’s most restrictive laws governing midwives despite high maternal mortality rates; Center for Reproductive Rights Senior Counsel Hillary Schneller explains that Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at roughly three times the rate of white women and that the US has one of the highest infant mortality rates among high-income countries. She explains that expanding access to midwifery care could help improve maternal health outcomes, adding that the profession was historically targeted by racist campaigns that tried to dismantle Black midwifery in the United States.

Rodrigo also asks Mehdizadeh about some of the lesser-known legal and policy battles reproductive rights advocates are currently facing, prompting a discussion about mifepristone, one of the two medications commonly used in medication abortions. The Center’s representatives explain that anti-abortion groups continue to push for additional restrictions on the drug despite extensive research supporting its safety and effectiveness. They also note that medication abortions now account for roughly 63% of abortions in the US, shining a spotlight on why access to the medication has become a central focus of the reproductive rights debate.

The interview is part of a series spotlighting the nonprofit partners behind Daisy Chain Fields, Rodrigo’s new one-day festival taking place August 29th at Great Park in Irvine, California. Inspired by Lilith Fair, the event will feature an all-women lineup including Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Garbage, Bikini Kill, the Breeders, and Stevie Nicks, while highlighting organizations working to support women and girls. The Center for Reproductive Rights is one of 10 nonprofit partners participating in the festival’s Philanthropy Village, where attendees will be able to learn more about each organization’s work.

Rodrigo has been an outspoken advocate for reproductive rights for several years. Through her Fund 4 Good initiative, launched during the GUTS World Tour, she has directed proceeds toward organizations supporting reproductive freedom, girls’ education, and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Those interested in learning more about reproductive rights and abortion access in their own state can visit the Center for Reproductive Rights’ “Know Your State” resource, which provides up-to-date information on laws and protections across the US.

Watch Rodrigo’s conversation with the Center for Reproductive Rights below.

Along with hosting Daisy Chain Fields, Rodrigo will embark on a lengthy 2026-2027 headlining tour in support of her latest album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.Find tickets here.