Patricia Neal
Actress Patricia Neal passed away Aug. 8 at the age of 84. The Oscar-winning actress who starred in such films asBreakfast at Tiffany’s and The Day the Earth Stood Still often expressed sorrow for having an abortion at age 23 after an affair with Garry Cooper. In a life marred by tragedy, including the death of a child, a life-threatening illness, and a divorce with husband Roald Dahl after a 30-year marriage, Neal wrote in her autobiography As I Amthat her chief regret in life was having an abortion. “If I had only one thing to do over in my life,” she wrote, “I would have that baby.” For this reason Neal displayed pro-life convictions throughout her life, often warning women against having abortions, and even encouraging fellow actress Ingrid Bergman to go through with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy despite strong pressure to abort.
