Lily Allen has never been one to shy away from tough conversations, and in the latest episode of her podcast Miss Me?, she shared a deeply personal admission: she doesn’t remember how many abortions she’s had.
Speaking candidly with her longtime friend and co-host Miquita Oliver, the 40-year-old singer said, “Abortions, I’ve had a few. But then again, I can’t remember exactly how many… I want to say four or five.” Oliver responded by revealing she’d had “about five” as well.
The online response was immediate and sharply divided. Many applauded Allen for her honesty in a society that often forces women to justify their reproductive choices. Others criticized her comments as “irresponsible,” accusing her of being too casual about a serious issue.
Allen seemed aware of the controversy her words might stir. Reflecting on one experience in particular, she recalled a man who paid for the procedure, which she initially saw as a romantic gesture. Looking back now, she admitted, “I don’t think it’s generous or romantic. He didn’t even follow up with me afterwards.”
Allen’s frustration extended beyond individual experiences—it was aimed at the broader cultural expectation that women must justify their abortions with socially “acceptable” reasons.
“It actually irritates me,” she said. “I’ve seen memes from pro-abortion accounts that say things like, ‘My aunt had a kid with a disability’ or ‘She would have died if she went full term.’ Like, shut up! Just: ‘I don’t want a f***ing baby right now.’ That’s reason enough.”
Her breezy, blunt, and at times even giggly tone unsettled some listeners. But for others, that tone was part of the message. Researcher Alison Wilson, writing in Metro, noted, “Imagine how much more palatable this would be if Allen had talked about how terrible she feels… how full of remorse she is? This is all to do with conditional acceptance.”
In other words, society still expects women to feel shame. And when they don’t, it makes people uncomfortable.
Wilson argued that Allen’s unfiltered honesty—however jarring—is exactly what being pro-choice is about: respecting the pregnant person’s decision, not the one that feels easiest for everyone else.
Allen isn’t advocating for abortion or encouraging others to follow her path. She’s simply sharing her truth, unapologetically and on her own terms. For many, that’s the very essence of reproductive freedom.
