Trigger warning: Contains mentions of rape
WWE anchor Kayla Braxton has said she was a 'product of rape', bravely sharing her story to speak out against the US Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v Wade.
The 1973 case legalised abortion nationwide up to the point of foetal viability, which is generally accepted to be around 24 weeks into pregnancy.
Since the reversal of the landmark decision, a number of states have already signed bills to ban termination regardless of circumstance – even if they are at risk of death or the victim of a sexual crime.
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Taking to Twitter, Braxton – who has been working as a broadcaster for the pro wrestling giant since 2016 – blasted the 'ignorant and arrogant people who have chosen to remain uneducated about what this means for we women'.
In a follow-up message shared on 25 June, she wrote: "I’ll also add – I am a product of rape. My mother was raped by a stranger – to this day, neither of us have any clue who my birth dad is."
But rather than use her experience as a way to support the abortion ban, she emphasised the importance of women's choice over their bodies.
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Braxton, 31, continued: "She chose to have me – clearly – but she did so because she CHOSE to. Not because a law told her she HAD to. It should always be our choice."
Dozens of people took to the comments section to offer support, with some sharing their own similar experiences.
"I carried my rapist's baby to term," wrote one. "I love him tremendously. That was my choice and I wouldn’t change it but it’s devastating even 19 years later. No woman should be forced to do what I did. Is pro CHOICE. Every woman should be able to choose."
Another said: "Props! So many people take the overly self-centered approach of: 'I’m pro-life because I wouldn’t exist if my mother had aborted me.'
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"Another person’s right to avoid forced pregnancy trumps the need to force one’s existence against the will of another."
"You Kayla, your mother, and countless other women everywhere, are so strong and brave and amazing," added a third. "Choice should always be yours."
If you have been affected by this article, you can find help, support and advice at The Survivors Trust.
Daisy Phillipson