Daughter of Roe v Wade plaintiff says mum 'would be devastated' about Supreme Court ruling

2 July 2022, 19:46 | Updated: 2 July 2022, 21:30

Daughter of 'Jane Roe' says her mum would be devastated about Supreme Court's decision

The daughter of Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff in the Roe v Wade case, has told LBC her mother would be "devastated" about the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark ruling.

When asked by LBC's David Lammy how her mother - known as 'Jane Roe' during the case - would feel about her "legacy" being overturned, Melissa Mills said she would be "devastated" because she was "pro-woman".

"My mum would be devastated," said Ms Mills.

"She never wanted any woman to be harmed or to hurt or not have the things she needed to take care of herself and her family.... she was pro-woman.

"She wanted anything for the women that they needed."

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Ms Mills, who was born eight years before the landmark case in 1965, said the Supreme Court's decision was "unbelievable".

"It's unbelievable that this happened and that we've gone back so many years, 50 years," she said.

"All the things that we've accomplished as women, and as a society, we've grown in other ways and now they're taking back women's reproductive rights and their rights to have healthcare that they need to take care of their bodies and their families."

Melissa Mills says her mother was an 'unexpected hero'

Roe v Wade was the landmark case that gave women the right to an abortion across the US.

It was overturned last week, leading to several states immediately restricting access to abortions.

Ms Mills said her mother, who was "not your typical housewife or mother", secured a victory that was not just about abortion but about the balance of power as a whole.

"Back then things were totally different," she said.

"Women were looked at differently, they didn't have any rights... she was also gay, she had a lot of things against her at that time.

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"Not only being a woman but being gay, being poor, non-educated, she had a lot of things against her.

"And she was young, very young.

"And she did the best that she could with the situation she had... people take advantage of people with less... she fought back at that too."

Melissa Mills says women will continue campaigning for abortion rights

Ms Mills said the recent ruling by the Supreme Court was a "slap in the face for all women" but said she didn't believe it would "stick".

"None of it makes sense," she said.

"I don't think it's going to stick.

"I think they're going to find their way back somehow."

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However she said it may be "a while" before women in the US regained their constitutional right to an abortion.

"It's going to take a while now, the damage has been done and now we have to suffer the consequences and beat on, try to get back where we were," she said.

"Roe's always going to be that thing that we want back."