John Legend Compares Overturning 'Roe' to Implementing 'The Handmaid's Tale' Into Law: 'We Have to Fight'

"We're teetering on the brink of not being a full democracy," John Legend told The Guardian in an interview published Monday

John Legend performs onstage during MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Joni Mitchell at MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom on April 01, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
John Legend. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty

John Legend is taking a stand in support of reproductive rights.

In a new interview with The Guardian published Monday, the 43-year-old "All of Me" singer shared his thoughts on the recently leaked opinion draft indicating most SCOTUS justices are expected to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the right to abortion, next month.

News of the likely vote broke the night before Legend's discussion with the outlet, which led the musician to feel compelled to speak out. "I can't watch this s--- happen and not say something," he told The Guardian. "We're teetering on the brink of not being a full democracy. We're about to implement The Handmaid's Tale into law."

He went on to explain that prior to President Joe Biden's time in office, he was looking forward to the then-candidate's promises to protect human rights. But as time's gone on, Legend finds it more difficult to hold out hope for change.

"As someone who thought it was an immense tragedy that we allowed Donald Trump to be president for four years, I felt a strong sense of relief at a new regime with someone who actually cared about the country," said the performer. "I was happy that we were turning the page from what I thought was a dark era in American history. But now I still feel incredibly concerned."

Despite using his platform to speak on social issues he's passionate about, Legend knows he's not going to single-handedly alter the course of the United States, especially as the country's political state becomes more divided.

"It feels hard to enact change right now," he said. "I do believe human beings generally want to do the right thing but the conservative movement is not interested in concessions or compromise. They're interested in full power and full authoritarianism."

Going forward, he's prepared to continuously speak out in support of the right to abortion. "I'm skeptical of the ability to 'kumbaya' our way to a solution," Legend told the outlet. "We have to fight at this point, and I'm going to do my part."

The musician — who shares two kids, Luna and Miles, with wife Chrissy Teigen — joins a growing list of A-listers who've publicly advocated for Roe v. Wade to remain intact. Last week, a group of nearly 160 young singers, actors, artists and influencers including Ariana Grande and Hailey Baldwin Bieber signed a full-page Planned Parenthood #BansOffOurBodies ad published in The New York Times to condemn the decision to overturn Roe.

The large group includes Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Kendall Jenner, Selena Gomez, Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Halsey, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart, Madelaine Petsch, Karlie Kloss, Ariana DeBose, Madelyn Cline, Hailee Steinfeld, Dove Cameron, FINNEAS, Hayley Kiyoko, Madison Beer, Phoebe Bridgers, Joey King, Peyton List, Lauren Jauregui, Jenna Ortega, Storm Reid, Tinashe, Meghan Trainor, Tommy Dorfman, Melanie Martinez, Liza Koshy, Maia Mitchell and more than 100 more.

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The ad is part of Planned Parenthood's #BansOffOurBodies campaign, which declares that "our bodies are our own — if they are not, we cannot be truly free or equal." By signing on, the 150-plus artists are declaring their support for abortion rights and urging their fans to join them.

As part of the campaign, Planned Parenthood organized a May 14 Bans Off Our Bodies Day of Action of protests across the country in support of abortion rights.

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