Ariana Grande Donates Portion Of Proceeds From Atlanta Concert To Planned Parenthood

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Ariana Grande is taking a stand against Georgia’s anti-abortion law by donating a portion of the proceeds from a local concert to Planned Parenthood. 

The singer performed last Saturday (June 8) in Atlanta, Georgia, a state which passed ‘heartbeat legislation’, banning abortions after a doctor can detect a foetal heartbeat, last month.

As heartbeats can be detected within the first six or seven weeks of pregnancy, many women may not even know they are pregnant before their time to legally get an abortion is up. Abortion is even outlawed in cases of rape and incest.

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The controversial decision to enact the legislation has been met with backlash from around the globe, with many people pushing for boycotts to argue the law.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Grande will donate approximately $300,000 (£236,500) of her concert proceeds to Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organisation which provides reproductive health care and sex education.

Dr Leana Wen, the President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, responded to the donation in a statement, saying:

Ariana Grande’s generous donation comes at a critical time – in Georgia and across the country, anti-women’s health politicians are trying to ban all safe, legal abortion.

This is not what the American people want, nor is it something they’ll stand for. Thanks to inspiring support like hers, Planned Parenthood can continue to fight back – in the courts, in Congress, in state houses, and in the streets – against these dangerous attacks on people’s health and lives.

We are so grateful to Ariana for her longstanding commitment to supporting women’s rights and standing with Planned Parenthood to defend access to reproductive health care. We won’t stop fighting – no matter what.

Atlanta’s new law is just one of many across numerous states like Ohio and Missouri, all of which are passing legislation which will very nearly ban abortion.

The 25-year-old is not the only celebrity to make their opinion known; after the law was announced actor Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Horrible Bosses) said he would not work in the state if it made it through the court system.

Netflix also took a stand, with chief content officer Ted Sarandos saying the company would rethink their ‘entire investment in Georgia’ if the legislation was implemented.

Georgia’s tax credit system has encouraged studios to film in the state including popular series and movies such as Stranger Things, The Walking Dead, Atlanta and Baby Driver, as well as a lot of the recent titles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Planned Parenthood released a statement in response to Grande’s donation, explaining:

Last month, Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp signed a dangerous six-week ban into law – banning abortion before many people know they are pregnant.

The ban has sparked widespread opposition from business leaders, the film and entertainment industry, and activists across all parts of Georgia. More than 300 Georgia business leaders have already publicly denounced the ban, and more than 6,000 Georgians signed a petition opposing it.

The majority of Americans support access to safe, legal abortion. In fact, a record-high 77 percent of Americans say they do not want to see Roe overturned, and there is no state in this country where banning abortion is popular.

The continued support for women’s rights is crucial at this time.

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Emily Brown

Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.