May 9, 2016

‘Scandal’ Lead Character on Abortion: ‘I’m Not Ashamed at All’

Since ABC’s Scandal’s winter finale in November ended with lead Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) heartlessly killing her unborn baby to the tune of the Christmas hymn “Silent Night,” the abortion has not been mentioned on the show. In fact, creator Shonda Rhimes was undecided about if she would bring it up again.

When asked when President Fitzgerald Grant would find out Olivia aborted their baby, Rhimes responded, “My question is, does he have to? A woman made a choice about her body that she legally has the right to make. I haven’t actually decided, but I wonder sometimes.” Well, Fitz still doesn’t know, but now, finally, someone else does and the revelation of the abortion became a major plot point in [last night’s] episode “Trump Card.

Olivia and her former-employee-turned-campaign-nemesis, Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield), are discussing the oppo[sition] research they have on each other’s candidates. Abby found out about the abortion, but didn’t want to share that information to protect her friend, going so far as to let her candidate drop out of the race.

Olivia is unapologetic about the abortion, declaring she’s “not ashamed at all” and wouldn’t have been hurt by the revelation. And she doesn’t even seem all that upset about how much it would hurt Fitz to know the truth.

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