Ariana Grande has donated $250,000 to Planned Parenthood amid new anti-abortion legislation.
The ‘Thank U, Next’ hitmaker is donating the proceeds from her June 8 concert in Atlanta, Georgia – which, according to E! News totaled around $250,000 – to the nonprofit organization, which provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally.
Ariana’s donation comes as nine US states including Georgia have passed legislation restricting the circumstances in which a woman can legally have an abortion, with states like Alabama effectively banning abortion altogether.
Dr. Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told E! News in a statement: “Ariana Grande’s generous donation comes at a critical time – in Georgia and across the country, anti-women’s health politicians are trying to ban all safe, legal abortion.
“This is not what the American people want, nor is it something they’ll stand for. Thanks to inspiring support like hers, Planned Parenthood can continue to fight back – in the courts, in Congress, in state houses, and in the streets – against these dangerous attacks on people’s health and lives.
“We are so grateful to Ariana for her longstanding commitment to supporting women’s rights and standing with Planned Parenthood to defend access to reproductive health care. We won’t stop fighting – no matter what.”
The 25-year-old singer isn’t the only star to stand with the charity either, as rapper Travis Scott – who has 16-month-old daughter Stormi with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner – recently donated the profits from his merchandise sales at a show at the 2019 Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, to the cause.
On stage, he said: “I wanna donate my net profits from my merch today to Planned Parenthood. We feel for those in Alabama. I love you all. I just want everyone to know that love is the strongest thing that we can have. So to anyone out there – man, woman – I wanna dedicate this song to you.”
Ariana and Travis join several celebrities who are standing up against the new legislation, including April Love Geary, Ashley Judd, Busy Philipps, Jameela Jamil, and Milla Jovovich, who have all recently shared stories of their own abortions.
This year, several states have banned abortion with the implementation of anti-abortion policies. These policies have been met with criticism, as women and men raise the alarm over women’s right to healthcare and self-determination when it comes to their sexual health. According to a report by Amnesty International, “currently all states have to provide public funding for abortions in cases of rape, incest or threat to life – but in many places, these exemptions will be irrelevant if harsh new laws come into effect. Five states – Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Louisiana – have passed bills which prohibit abortion after about six weeks – before many people even realize they are pregnant.”
