Actress Natasha Lyonne has defended her comment about feeling ‘ripped apart’ by 12-year-olds not being able to get abortions.
The Orange Is the New Black star has admitted the glib remark was ‘not my eloquent best’, while explaining that she meant it in reference to rape victims.
Lyonne’s initial comment came when a Hollywood Reporter journalist asked for her thoughts about Donald Trump’s new administration at the Spirit Awards red carpet.
The award-winning American Pie actress responded by lamenting the impact of his presidency on the ‘trans community, gay community, black community, women’.
‘When I think of the kids, like the 12-year-old girl that can’t get an abortion… that’s what really rips me apart,’ she added.
Following a public backlash about the comment, Lyonne, 45, clarified her stance on X with a repost of her Saturday red carpet interview in Santa Monica.
‘To clarify: I meant to say, that in many states now, if a young girl is raped, even by a family member, she would be forced to have that child against her will, or risk going to prison longer than her perpetrator,’ Lyonne wrote.
‘And yeah, I think that’s about the darkest way to destroy a young woman’s life & autonomy & I say that coming from a place of first hand experience.
New York-born Lyonne is best known for her portrayal of Nicky Nichols on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black (shown above), and the protagonist of Russian Doll, Nadia Vulvokov
‘There is too much unnecessary & violent shrapnel happening to our most marginalized groups & total fear of reprisal in speaking up. Heck, I’m scared too.
‘But more than fear of personal ridicule, I fear the unmitigated glee of mob mentality, the kind that leads too easily to dehumanization & the disintegration of our collective moral compass.
‘As an empath, I struggle to find the words to articulate my heartbreak for the rising toll of individual human beings presently tangled in this risky, political power play.’
The Russian Doll star added that she was ‘speaking as an abused kid who’s lived a lot of life, both on the skids and at the top’, adding that she doesn’t ‘know how to stay silent’.
She also hit back at her critics – saying it’s ‘not a great sign that free speech is really free if even a rambling, loquacious riffer like yours truly, clams up in the face of a real deal question at some frothy, workplace event’.
New York-born Lyonne is best known for her portrayal of Nicky Nichols on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, and the protagonist of Russian Doll, Nadia Vulvokov.
She stunned in a sleeveless dress with a sheer floral overlay at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, with her boyfriend Bryn Mooser.
Mooser – who is also a filmmaker – was stylishly casual in a pair of black jeans as well as white dress shirt.
Actress Natasha Lyonne has defended her comment about feeling ‘ripped apart’ by 12-year-olds not being able to get abortions. The Russian Doll star has admitted the glib remark was ‘not my eloquent best’, while explaining that she meant it in reference to rape victims.
Natasha Lyonne, 45, showed off her chic style as she put on a loved-up display with her boyfriend Bryn Mooser at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday
Also during the ceremony, the actress was seen crossing paths with Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer and also Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau
The couple have mainly kept details of their relationship private, but were seemingly first romantically linked back in October 2023.
During the ceremony, the actress was seen crossing paths with Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer and also Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau.
She also spoke with the Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming projects including superhero film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Producers announced in May that Lyonne had joined the cast, along with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Julia Garner.
When asked who her character is in the upcoming Marvel movie, the actress jokingly replied with: ‘Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson.’
‘And so, that’s who I play – and I’m under heavy NDAs and I’m really sorry I said that guys. Yeah, I play a character called Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson.’
