Scarlett Johansson is arguably one of the most famous actresses on the planet and her role of Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is has become one of the most iconic female action heroes of all time. Despite her fame, the actress is a relatively private person who doesn’t even have a social media presence, unlike virtually every other working actor. While speaking at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., Johansson opened up in a way like never before to share her personal experiences with Planned Parenthood to a crowd of hundreds of thousands.
Johansson opened her remarks with a powerful quote, not from a political revolutionary, not from a philosopher, but from her own mother: “Have you been to a gynecologist yet?” The question was posed to her when she was only 15 after she had told her mother about changes she was noticing with her body.
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At 15-years-old, Johansson had been in the acting world for almost eight years, but Planned Parenthood was the only organization offering reproductive services she and her family could afford. She recalled that she was living in New York City at the time and was “nervous about taking this next stride towards womanhood,” pointing out that Planned Parenthood provided “a safe place where I could be treated with gentle guidance.”
“I may have been 15 and surprisingly self-sufficient, but I am sure that there’s not one person here who hasn’t been helped by Planned Parenthood, directly or otherwise,” she added.
Although many people merely link the organization to abortions or affordable birth control, Johansson reminded everyone that, in addition to those services, the organization also provides women with STD testings, cancer screenings, and pregnancy planning services.
The actress spent a large portion of her speech speaking generally but ultimately couldn’t avoid directly addressing Donald Trump about her concerns.
“President Trump: I did not vote for you,” she confessed. “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. Support my best friend and all of our girlfriends. Support the men and women here today that are anxiously awaiting to see how your next moves may drastically affect their lives.”
Johansson attempted to personally connect with Trump, pleading, “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. I ask you to support all women and our fight for equality in all things, including the fight to be recognized as individuals, who know better for ourselves what is right for our bodies, better than any elected official, popular or otherwise.”
The actress then closed by reminding everyone, “Let this weight not drag you down, but help to get your heels stuck in.”
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[H/T YouTube/Global News/MTV]
