The number of television shows and films depicting abortion in their plot lines reached a record high in 2022, according to Abortion Onscreen.
Researchers watched television series and films to analyze if and how they depicted abortion. The researchers looked at the reasons characters were getting abortions and how difficult they were to obtain. (RELATED: Federal Court Blocks Biden Rule That Forces Christian Doctors To Perform Sex Change Surgeries)
The group documented 60 abortion plot lines from 52 television shows or films, more than any pervious year. Last year the number of abortion plot lines was 52.
New research from @gesisson & me: we found at least 60 abortion plotlines in 2022, and for the first time since we’ve been analyzing abortion onscreen, more than 1/3 portrayed barriers to access. That’s 20 plotlines, up from 2 in 2021 and 9 in 2019. https://t.co/sy6RjblmUF
— Steph Herold (@StephHerold) December 15, 2022
One-third of plot lines included depictions of how new restrictions have made obtaining abortion more difficult. Shows with such plot lines included Grey’s Anatomy, New Amsterdam, and Law & Order. Other medical and legal dramas depicted doctors and lawyers’ responses to the Dobbs decision.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Cynthia Nixon, and Mariah Carey expressed anger at the court’s decision.
Hollywood has a strong pro-abortion slant. After the Dobbs decision, several prominent celebrities voiced their support for legal abortion. Several actors and actresses have threatened to never do business in states with abortion restrictions.