Scarlett Johansson opened up before a crowd estimated half-million attendees at Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington, getting personal to recall being a teenager when she sought the help of Planned Parenthood.
“‘Have you been to the gynecologist yet?’ That was the question my mom asked me at 15 when I informed her about a change that I noticed in my body,” she said during her speech. “I’m not the type to divulge facts about my personal life, but I feel that in the face of this current political climate, it is vital that we all make it our mission to get really, really personal. So, yes, at 15, I had been to a gynecologist.”
She shared her story: “I was living in New York City and had visited a Planned Parenthood there. It was actually my clinician at Planned Parenthood who suggested I speak with my pediatrician if I was seeking a referral. She was compassionate and professional and told me she was happy to treat me for regular checkups, and when the time came, for STD and cancer screenings. No judgment. No questions asked. Planned Parenthood provided a safe place where I could be treated with gentle guidance.”
The “Avengers” star then made a personal plea to the just-inaugurated president. “President Trump, I did not vote for you,” she said, eliciting cheers from the crowd. ” That said, I respect that you are our president-elect and I want to be able to support you. But first I ask that you support me, support my sister, support my mother.”
She continued: “Support my daughter who may actually, as a result of the appointments you have made, grow up in a country that is moving backwards, not forwards, and who may potentially not have the right to make choices for her body and her future that your daughter Ivanka has been privileged to have.”
Watch Scarlett Johansson’s entire speech above.