Roe v Wade: Jessica Chastain mourns loss of reproductive rights in scathing 4 July post

Jessica Chastain has mourned the loss of her reproductive rights amid the recent Roe v Wade ruling in an Instagram post on Monday, 4 July.

Last month, the super-conservative majority court ruled in favour of a Mississippi law that criminalises abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy while also overturning key precedents established by the 1973 decision in Roe v Wade.

Since then, the controversial ruling, which strips American women of the constitutional right to safe abortions, has been widely denounced in the country, and around the world.

On 4 July, celebrated as Independence Day in the US, the Eyes of Tammy Faye Oscar winner shared a picture of herself, holding up both her middle fingers, in a show of defiance against the Supreme Court.

She captioned the photo: “Happy ‘Independence’ Day from me and my reproductive rights.”

Chastain has previously also spoken out about abortion rights and Planned Parenthood, the American non-profit that provides access to sexual and reproductive health care.

In a 2017 speech, Chastain described the organisation as “vital and indispensable”, adding “we need Planned Parenthood”.

She said: “As the daughter of a single mother in a low-income household, I am indebted to the organisation. As I grew up, they made it financially possible and accessible for me to educate myself and make decisions regarding my health and my future.”

Many celebrities have spoken out against the overturning of Roe v Wade, including Anne Hathaway, Hilarie Burton, Halsey, Maya Hawke, Sophia Bush, Padma Lakshmi, Jane Fonda and Selena Gomez.

A number of musicians at Glastonbury also used their platform to speak out against the decision: Kendrick Lamar said “Godspeed for women’s rights” and Phoebe Bridgers led chants of “f*** the Supreme Court”.