Bridgers, Rodrigo blast Roe vs. Wade reversal at Glastonbury

A split image of Phoebe Bridgers smiling and Olivia Rodrigo singing into a purple microphone

Published June 24, 2022 Updated June 27, 2022 7:49 AM PT

Phoebe Bridgers brought her frustration with the reversal of Roe vs. Wade across the pond to England’s Glastonbury Festival, where she led concertgoers on a chant decrying Friday’s decision. She was joined throughout the weekend by several other performers, including Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion and Lorde, who vented their anger at the U.S. Supreme Court for rolling back the federally protected right to an abortion.

Shortly after the court overturned the landmark 1973 precedent, Bridgers said that “it’s super surreal and fun” to perform for the festival audience, but in reality, she’s “having the s— day.”

“Who wants to say, ‘F— the Supreme Court’?” she then asked the Glastonbury attendees.

After counting to three, the singer and her audience chanted, “F— the Supreme Court.” Then Bridgers continued to hurl invectives at the judicial body.

“F— that s—. F— America ... all these irrelevant, old f— trying to tell us what to do with our f— bodies,” she said, shaking her head. “F— it.”

It’s not the first time Bridgers has spoken about abortion rights. When reports of a draft Supreme Court decision initially surfaced in May, the singer shared on social media that she had undergone an abortion in October 2021 while on tour.

“I went to Planned Parenthood and they gave me the abortion pill,” she said. “It was easy. Everyone deserves this kind of access.”

Anti-pop phenom Eilish also weighed in on the reversal Friday, according to the BBC, calling it “a really, really dark day for women in the U.S.” during her own Glastonbury set.

On Saturday, teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo also directed a few F-bombs at the court from the U.K. stage.

“I’m devastated and terrified,” the “Good 4 U” hitmaker told the music festival crowd. “So many women and so many girls are going to die because of this.”

Also onstage was Lily Allen, whom Rodrigo brought out for a surprise duet of the English musician’s hit song, “F— You.” Allen waved her middle fingers in the air while Rodrigo dedicated their performance to “the five members of the Supreme Court who showed us that, at the end of the day, they truly don’t give a s— about freedom.”

“This song goes out to the justices, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh,” Rodrigo said. “We hate you.”

The Grammy winner previously advocated for abortion rights at a concert in Washington after the leak of the draft decision. At the D.C. stop on her Sour concert tour, Rodrigo declared, “Our bodies should never be in the hands of politicians.”

After lamenting on social media that “the court has failed us all,” rapper Megan Thee Stallion took a moment during her Glastonbury set to “call out these stupid-a— men,” as well as her home state of Texas. It is one of 13 states that prepared “trigger laws” to ban abortion as soon as Roe was overturned.

“Texas really embarrassing me right now,” the “Savage” artist told the crowd.

“I wanna have it on the record that the motherf— hot girls and the hot boys do not support this bulls— that y’all campaigning for.”

Megan Thee Stallion ended her remarks with a rallying cry: “My body, my motherf— choice!”

New Zealand pop musician Lorde joined the Glastonbury resistance on Sunday, according to NME, by attaching a “F— the Supreme Court” to the end of her song “Secrets From a Girl (Who’s Seen It All).”

And during his headlining set on Sunday, rapper Kendrick Lamar appeared to address the decision by repeatedly chanting, “They judge you. They judge Christ. Godspeed for women’s rights,” after performing the song “Savior” from his new album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.”

Bridgers, Rodrigo, Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Lorde and Lamar are just a few of the pop culture figures and notable names speaking out about the Supreme Court decision Also reacting to the ruling were Michelle Obama, Quinta Brunson, Patricia Arquette, Ariana DeBose and others.

Charli XCX posted on social media about the historic Supreme Court decision. On Twitter, Megan Thee Stallion tweeted that “everyone deserves access to the care they need” and shared donation resources.

Charli XCX rallied her social media followers, even those not directly impacted by the ruling.

“just because you’re not an American citizen does not mean the overturning of Roe V wade is none of your business. if you support women’s rights and human rights you NEED to be vocal about how drastic and appalling the overturning of the constitutional right to an abortion is,” she tweeted.

Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and other performers slam Supreme Court at Glastonbury

More to Read

More From the Los Angeles Times

Most Read in Music