John Legend Calls On Men To Speak Up About Women’s Reproductive Rights At The Time100 Summit

EGOT winner John Legend is never one to mince words when giving voice to the sometimes voiceless. Whether he’s speaking out against racial injustice or calling on our political leaders to enact policy change, Legend is a fearless ally for many.

Yesterday, as one of the speakers for TIME Magazine’s Time 100 Summit, the “All Of Me” singer proved again that he has no problem using his platform for good. In a session moderated by TIME Senior Correspondent Charlotte Alter, Legend was asked for his take on the role men should play in the war on women’s reproductive rights, and he did not hold back. “We have to speak up for reproductive rights, absolutely,” the singer-songwriter said. “I think all of America, now that the Dobbs decision has come down, is realizing the level of control and authoritarianism that would be required to implement the so-called ‘pro-life’ agenda. It’s not a pro-life agenda; it’s a pro-control over women’s reproductive choices agenda.”

Legend and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, faced the devastating decision to have an abortion at 20 weeks once they learned their son, Jack, would not survive. The couple decided to share their story publicly and were met with a barrage of negative comments. It’s something that Legend hoped would show the enormity of the decision many women face every day. “These conversations are life or death for these women and their families,” he said. “When they have to make these wrenching decisions, it is the hardest decision they’ll make. It is traumatic, it is painful, it is harrowing.”

He said that the political aftermath of trying to strip women of their autonomy would be humbling for elected officials. “I think they’re realizing now that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew politically,” he said. “And they’ve roused a movement of not only women but of anybody who believes in reproductive rights, anybody who believes in personal autonomy. They’ve roused a movement and they’re going to pay the price for that electorally for infringing on women’s rights this much.”

Speak on it, John!