Maya Hawke discusses mother Uma Thurman’s abortion amid Roe v Wade: ‘If she hadn’t had it, I wouldn’t exist’

Stranger Things star Maya Hawke has said she “wouldn’t exist” if her mother Uma Thurman hadn’t gotten an abortion after becoming pregnant as a teenager.

Hawke, 23 – who plays Robin Buckley on season three and four of the Duffer brothers’ Netflix hit series – appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (28 June).

During her interview, she addressed the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

On Friday (24 June), the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of a Mississippi law that outlaws abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy while also overturning key precedents established by the 1973 decision in Roe v Wade.

Condemning the Supreme Court’s ruling, Hawke spoke about Thurman’s ”beautiful” 2021 op-ed inThe Washington Post in which the Kill Bill star opened up about having an abortion when she was a teenager.

Her personal essay was published following the implementation of a Texas law that bans abortions when fetal cardiac activity is detected, which can be long before many women are even aware they are pregnant.

On the subject of Roe v Wade, Hawke told Fallon she “called my mom to ask for advice today about coming in to talk to you”.

“We just got into talking about the Supreme Court ruling and this essay that my mom wrote a couple months ago when they were putting these further restrictions on abortion access, sort of preceding this whole thing,” she continued.

In the essay, Thurman revealed how she was impregnated by “a much older man” as a teenager while away from home and acting in Europe.

Despite wanting to keep the baby, Thurman said it was decided “as a family” that she could not go through with the pregnancy, and that having an abortion was the right choice.

Hawke – who is the daughter of Thurman and Ethan Hawke – told Fallon her parents’ lives would have been “derailed” if Thurman had chosen differently, adding that she “wouldn’t exist”.

“My mom wrote this really beautiful essay about her abortion that she got when she was really young and about how if she hadn’t had it, she wouldn’t have become the person that she had become, and I wouldn’t exist,” Hawke said.

“Both of my parents’ lives would have been derailed if she hadn’t have had access to safe and legal healthcare – fundamental healthcare.”

She also said that while “wealthy people will always be able to get abortions”, the Supreme Court’s decision will adversely impact so many others who “will not only not be able to pursue their dreams, but actually lose their lives”.

“So I just wanted to say, f*** the Supreme Court. But we’re going to keep fighting it, and we’re going to win, like our grandmothers did,” she added.

The Supreme Court’s decision has been criticised by millions across the country and the world, including celebrities who have used their platforms to speak out against the landmark ruling.

A number of stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Kendrick Lamar, Phoebe Bridgers referenced the ruling during their recent Glastonbury sets.