The Daily Signal - #424: 'I Was Almost a Victim of Abortion,' Says Lead Actress in 'Unplanned' Movie

Episode Date: March 25, 2019

On today’s show, we’re featuring our exclusive interview with actress Ashley Bratcher. She plays the role of former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson in the new movie “Unplanned.�� It’s in theaters this week. Also on today’s show:• We chat with Maranda Finney about her own story of adoption and why it's a viable alternative to abortion.• Mykala Steadman has a March Madness story that has a happy ending.• And your letters to the editor. Next week your letter could be featured on our show; write us at [e-mail] or call 202-608-6205.The Daily Signal podcast is available on the Ricochet Audio Network. You also can listen on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts.If you like what you hear, please leave a review or give us feedback. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Monday, March 25th. I'm Rob Blewe. And I'm Rachel Deltudis. Today, we're featuring Rachel's exclusive interview with actress Ashley Bratcher. She's the actress who plays the role of former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director, Abby Johnson, in the new movie Unplanned. It's in theaters this week. We also chat with Miranda Finney about her own story of adoption. We'll share your letters and Michaela Stedman has a March Madness story that has a happy ending. Before we begin, we'd like to ask you to help us. spread the word about the Daily Signal podcast. Please give us a five-star review on iTunes

and share this episode with your family and friends. That will help us make sure we are continuing to grow our reach. Stay tuned for today's show. Coming up next. We're joined on the Daily Signal podcast today by Ashley Bratcher. She is the lead actress in the movie Unplan that tells the story of Abby Johnson, the youngest Planned Parenthood Clinic director,

who in 2009 left Planned Parenthood, due to a change of heart. Ashley, thank you so much for being with us today. Yes, thank you for having me. Well, first off, I want to start off to ask you what it was like to be a lead role in a film that tells such an incredible story about not only the horrors of the abortion industry, but also the beauty of the pro-life movement. Yeah, playing a real person, especially someone like Abby Johnson, is a huge responsibility. She's just so charismatic and fun and witty. And to be able to be the storyteller of her transformation with such an awesome.

honor. And what's so powerful about her story is that she made the complete 180. You know, she was an insider at Planned Parenthood. And she was able to say, I was wrong to come out and tell her story, which it was very courageous and brave because she faced a lot of backlash from Planned Parenthood. And being able to really share what she went through and the grace that she found along the way and forgiveness has been just incredible. You've recently spoken about how this film became very personal for you when you found out in the early stages of filming unplanned that you were almost aborted. Could you tell us a little bit about how that revelation happened? When I first got cast for unplanned, it all happened really quickly. I'm talking four hours

was the notice I got. And they said, can you be on the plane? And I said, yes, without hesitation. I landed in Oklahoma, hit the ground running. I didn't have a lot of time to tell people where I was or explain. And so when my mom called me on the fourth day of filming, I was a little hesitant to share with her the story because she had shared with me when she was younger that she'd had an abortion. And I didn't want her to think that I judged her or that I thought any less of her or that this was even a movie about condemnation because it certainly is that it doesn't point fingers to anyone. So I was really proud to tell her Abby's story. And as I did, she became undone more so than I expected. And she was weeping through the phone and she said, Ashley, I need to tell you something

that I never told you before. And I could just tell that this was breaking her heart. And she said, Ashley, what you don't know is that when I was 19, I was at the clinic for the second time. And I had my name called back. I was being examined by a very pregnant nurse. I was on the table and I got very sick to my stomach and I told her I couldn't go through with it. I got up, I walked out and I chose to have you. And it was such a profound moment because I never knew that. It was incredibly shocking and overwhelming and so many other words I can't even create right now on my mind because I was here telling Abby Johnson's story, one of the greatest pro-life voices of our time,

never realizing that I was almost a victim of abortion. I was almost never here on this earth to share this story. And it was definitely something that put life into perspective for me. Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing that. So this movie is coming at a particularly intense time for the pro-life movement. We've seen in New York recently legalizing abortion up to the time of birth and similar legislation being pursued in states like Virginia and Rhode Island.

How do you hope this movie might play a role in the current debate we're seeing? Well, I think the timing of the movie is absolutely divine. I would love to say that we're marketing geniuses, but that is just not the case. It's just all happened to come out at a time that I think our country desperately needs it. I think that there is a lot of misinformation out there, and people are just wrapped up in the lie that it's just a clump of cells or it's just tissue, it's just fetal matter, but that is just not the case. Science backs the pro-life movement in the sense that a unique individual, human life is created at the point of fertilization. And we need a face to the victim. This is a movie that actually gives the victim a face because for so long there has been a silent Holocaust

happening, if you will. This is something that's done in secret behind closed doors. For the most part, women don't even see their ultrasounds. And for the first time, we are taking people behind those closed doors to reveal what is really happening in the abortion industry. What is your take on unplanned receiving an R-rating? I think I saw a report saying that our rating was going to stay unless all of the abortion scenes were removed. What's your take on this whole rating that it's been given? I think it's completely accurate. We didn't receive the R rating for nudity because there's no nudity.

There's no sex. There's no language. The only reason we received the R was for violence and disturbing images. Well, unfortunately, that is exactly what abortion is. It's a disturbing and violent act. So the NPA actually agrees with us, which is ironic. And I think that our rating is warranted because we don't hold back. We don't do it for the blood and gore, but we do it to reveal the truth. And I think that parents who do take their children need to have a very serious conversation about what abortion really is. This is going to definitely wake them up.

I do think that there is a serious issue in our country with the law because a girl as young as 13 can be pregnant and go in many states across the nation and have an abortion, but she can't go see the movie without parental consent. She can have an abortion without parental consent, but she can't see the movie. So that to me says more about protecting women in our society than we are. I mean, to be able to see a movie is a lot different than going and being able to take a life. Exactly. No, you're so right. So it's a new secret that pro-life movies, we rarely see them ever at the box office. How has your involvement in this movie been received by those in the film industry and the media? I think other people have been way more concerned than I have about where my career is headed after this.

I already have offers on the table. I am a part of some projects that are in the works, and it's not really hurting my career, so to speak. And I think that anyone who is wise enough, and honest enough in the film industry, any critic, any artist can look at this role and see the artistic value. Because no matter where you stand on the subject, Abby is an incredibly dynamic character. The role is challenging physically, mentally, emotionally. It's an incredible stretch for any actor to be able to have a role like this. And it's just a really great story. So the film industry has to acknowledge that. And if they don't, that says more about where they stand on their political agenda than I do. Yeah. And speaking of the political agenda and just the

attacks we've seen on people who do, you know, get involved in films like this that are antithetical to what Hollywood produces, what would you say to other people who might have an opportunity like this, but they're maybe too caught up in like their own career or the future? And like you're in this movement and you're making a profound difference. What would you say to people who are kind of like straddling that choice? I'd say that you being true to yourself is the most important thing you can do in this industry because this is an industry that will eat you up and spit you out if you don't know who you are knowing who you are and what the mark is that you want to leave in this industry and on the world is incredibly important because if you know that and

you can root yourself in your purpose no matter what you do you can always stand on that I know that in 40 years I'm not going to look back on this project and regret it I'm going to be very proud of my work and that's something that I've always taken pride in is knowing that I only do projects that I feel moved to do if I'm a part of it. I'm going to be able to stand behind it and back it and say, yeah, I did it and here's why. And I think that people really need to be able to say that. They need to know why they're doing what they're doing regardless of what someone else thinks. You're going to live without regret if you do what is true to you and people are going to respect you more for being honest and authentic about it. What was the heart? What was the

hardest part about making this film as well as the best part about making it. The hardest part, I would say, was the 24-7 non-stop commitment to the film. It's definitely the hardest I've ever worked because it didn't stop when the cameras turned off. It was so labor intensive as far as research is concerned that it was go, go, go. I would be eating dinner, listening to Abby's audiobook, looking at YouTube videos. I wasn't even taking a shower without having something playing in the background. I mean, it was intense because I was so committed to a truthful performance that I wanted to know the ins and outs of everything that she experienced. My favorite part about making the film is that these people have truly become my family.

I know that people say that all the time, but this is just different than anything I've ever been a part of. I know that these are people that will be in my life for the long haul. They're friends that call me up regularly and check on me and say, how are you doing? and we can have conversations outside of just the movie industry. We really developed a close sense of family because we were all gathered together for a unified purpose, and we knew that. How do you hope that this film will impact society

and specifically the pro-life and pro-abortion movements in particular? I think this film is going to start a conversation. This is something we desperately need to talk about. I heard one of the Georgia House representatives say last week that abortion is so outside the scope of polite conversation that we can't even bear to look at it. We can't even come face to face with the ripping apart of a human being. And he's right. We have to face this as a society.

We have to talk about it. We have to acknowledge it because if we don't, we're turning a blind eye and nothing is happening to move us forward in progress. This is a movie that, like I said, is going to put a face to the victim. them. And for the first time, America is going to have to recognize that. They're going to have to look at what's being done and say, am I okay with this? You can't walk out and be ambivalent anymore. You're going to have to make a choice. Ashley, thank you so much for being with us today. We really appreciate it. Yes, thank you for having me. Do you own an Alexa? You can now get the Daily Signal podcast every day as part of your daily

flash briefing. It's easy to do. Just open up your Alexa app, go to settings, and select Flash briefing. From there, you can search for the Daily Signal podcast and add it to your flash briefing so you can stay up to date with the top news of the day that the liberal media isn't covering. Rachel, thanks for doing that interview. You've had the opportunity to see the movie unplanned. In your sneak preview of it, can you share with us without giving away the plot what your impressions are? Sure. Well, I had the opportunity to see it during the week of the March for Life, which was in January, so it's been a little while. But something that I really loved about the movie and the story of Abby Johnson is, and something that hasn't been talked about for the people,

I feel like that the articles that have been coming out sharing sneak previews is how Abby's husband, Doug Johnson, is portrayed. He, from what the movie shows, was like a Christian in pro-life during the filming of the movie and during Abby Johnson's conversion story when she was working for Planned Parenthood. But he was such a supportive but yet loving influence in her life that I feel like really was a huge part of her conversion, but like he never pressured her he was always very supportive and he'd ask her thoughtful, provoking questions. But I love just the rock and the anchor he was to her in this film. And I think it's such a good example for people across this country who might find themselves in similar situations where, you know, one person in a marriage is pro-life,

the other one might not be, but how his just steadfast love and conviction in the, you know, pro-life cause helped with her conversion. So I loved what a rock and what a supportive man and father he was, even though they kind of came from different perspectives, but then ended up at the same pro-life conviction and perspective. Thanks for sharing that. As difficult as the movie will be for people to watch, given the violence that is abortion, I hope people will take an opportunity to see it.

And again, it'll be in theaters this week. Coming up next, we're going to talk to Miranda Finney, a Heritage Foundation intern, about why she is a special advocate for adoption. Are you looking for quick conservative policy solutions to current issues, sign up for Heritage's weekly newsletter, The Agenda. In the agenda, you will learn what issues Heritage Scholars on Capitol Hill are working on, what position conservatives are taking, and links to our in-depth research. The agenda also provides information on important events happening

here at Heritage that you can watch online, as well as media interviews from our experts. Sign up for the agenda on heritage.org today. Joining us in the studio today is Miranda Finney. Miranda has spent the last several months with us here at the Heritage Foundation, usually on the other side of the glass, though, behind the scenes and doing production for things like our podcast and video projects. She's joining us in the studio today, though, to talk about her own experience with adoption. Miranda, welcome. Hi, thank you for having me today. I like being on the other side of the glass. I like both sides, but this one's fun, too, so I'm ready to explore it. It's great to have you here. Well, you come from Kentucky, and you have a unique life story in which you were adopted yourself. Can you share with us about that experience and why you are so passionate about adoption today? So as you just mentioned, of course, I'm a special advocate for adoption because I was adopted. I could have been one of the statistics that, you know, might have been aborted because of the circumstances.

The beautiful fact is in my community, though, where, you know, a huge Christian area, we would never ever consider abortion despite any circumstances. So that's one part of it that I'm just majorly influenced by. I think there's a beautiful family relationship in our area. Again, Eastern Kentucky is kind of a distinct area. I call myself an Appalachian because we're all this group of people that's been affected very similarly by whatever circumstances, politically, economically, and then also religiously. So anyway, my mother is an OBGYN. She's delivered, you know, thousands of babies, 13 to 14. thousand babies in our area. So she's seen, you know, some of the effects of kids who need to be

adopted firsthand, largely due to the drug crisis that we have in our area. And for me, you know, that's how I came into the arms of my very loving family that has raised me. Unfortunate circumstances, but, you know, a very fortunate upbringing. And for that I'm grateful. And I think that that's kind of why I've been given this second chance at life so that I can promote it. Promoting adoption is one of my biggest things. Could you talk a little bit about we were talking before the show and you were saying that adoption is such a viable alternative to abortion? And can you talk about, I guess, your reflections we see today. Adoption isn't talked about as much, especially organizations like Planned Parenthood. They push abortion very emphatically, but adoption is kind of like left out as an

option. So I think adoption's kind of left out. We all talk about we should adopt kids or it just goes simply to, you know, the ultimate negative, which is abortion, completely against. But I think there is definitely a case to be made that adoption's a beautiful act of giving a kid a second chance at life. Whatever aspect that might be, it could be as an infant straight into the hands of a new family or through the foster care system. I think one part of it is that it's expensive and we need to talk about making prices or making the entire, because lots of it is lawyers interfering and obviously that's going to make cost go up tremendously. We need to cut that down while also being successful

on placing kids who needs homes with loving families who can spend that money alternatively onto the children. Miranda, what are some of the organizations out there or resources that people who are interested in adoption? Where can they turn for help and guidance? One side is child welfare.gov. They show lots of these statistics. They show how you might be able to get financial assistance

when it comes to particularly adopting a kid out of foster care. It's a little bit cheaper than getting an infant, fresh, you know, just born through an adoption agency, which can cost up to, you know, 15 to 40,000 on average is the rate, which I know a lot of families don't just have that money to spend freely. They'd much rather spend it on the kid if it comes down to it, in particular, on their lives. What was it like to grow up in a home with an OB-GYN as your mom, someone who has helped bring many new lives into this world? I think it's a beautiful experience.

I can't tell you any OBGYN that I've ever heard of, and that's why she's so against abortion. That could be an advocate for throwing away the lives that they bring into the world every single day. She loves life. She loves her children. She loves me just as much as, you know, my brothers. Yeah, I just think it's an incredible job to have, and especially it's a big role in the pro-life movement in itself

because you're doing it with love, with passion, and you're doing it very effectively. You've told me your story and what an incredible childhood you've had so successful at a young age. What is it about your own family and that experience that you feel led you to have such great success and be such a strong advocate for giving people an opportunity at life here? I think it all goes back to blessings on blessings on blessings. You know, I have two parents that both came from essentially nothing. They both worked their butts off to get through college, to get through school to be able to raise a family.

I came on into their lives a little bit earlier than they had expected to have children. So, you know, they had to have a lot of faith and guidance to be able to maneuver that at that time in their lives. So again, I'm very thankful for that. I think it's all about remembering your roots, remembering that, like I said, earlier, people where I'm from, it's a big family. And so remembering that whatever affects you could also affect someone down the road. So not everyone has it easy. we're all in this together kind of thing. And I know that I'm not better than anyone else. And just remembering to stay humble.

What is your message to peers, our peers in today's society, where adoption really isn't advocated? I think it's just talk about it. We need to look at legislation. It's often overlooked. I think Kentucky's been doing a pretty excellent job at keeping it up in the news. So I think we're doing pretty okay there for sure. But I think it does need to be a national topic.

I mean, so many kids are adopted. They don't share their stories, I think, more enough. We want to hear about, because popular culture is really where the biggest influence is in our youth. We want to hear about famous stars that were adopted and that they overcame whatever circumstances that put them into the need to be adopted, that situation in which they need to be adopted. And just kind of, you know, sharing your stories and why it's so beautiful. So I want to shift the topic just slightly here as we wrap up. You've had an opportunity to work at the Heritage Foundation, work with the Daily Signal,

spend some time in Washington, D.C., reflecting on that experience, do you have a highlight or a favorite moment from the past several months? That one's a tough one. I've been so thankful for every single day that I've gotten to be here. I think that one of my favorite moments is I've got to see my governor. I got to record his podcast while he was in here, and he was actually talking a little bit about adoption, which, like I said, Kentucky's... Governor Matt Bevan. Yes, and he was, you know, just advocating for adoption.

He has several adopted kids himself. So I think that was probably one of my favorite moments. He's a great leader. Well, I want to thank our producer on today's show, Michael Gooden, for supervising you and mentoring you throughout the semester here. It's been great to work with you here at Heritage in the Daily Signal. Thanks, Miranda. Thank you.

Do you have an opinion that you'd like to share? Leave us a voicemail at 202-608-6205 or email us at letters atdailysignal.com. Yours could be featured on the Daily Signal podcast. Thanks for sending us your letters to the editor. Each Monday, we feature our favorites on this show and in our Morning Bell email newsletter. Rachel, who's up first? Thomas Beckwith wrote to us about the trouble in Venezuela. Dear Daily Signal, socialism fails under the premise that a powerful and all-knowing central government

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The simple truth is that to any left winger, the ends. always justify the means. There is no honor in them. We must do everything possible to ensure our elections are fair and honest. Failure to do so, resulting in a loss of confidence in our democratic process, can and will destroy this nation, which is what the left is pushing for. Every American is an injured party in that case. And we also receive this voicemail from a grateful subscriber. Hi, I'm a subscriber to the daily signal on my, um, and I just want to let you know, I am so impressed with you guys. I'm in my 50, and there is a point in time where I thought almost every young person in this country was just so liberal that there was nothing I could learn from the younger generation.

And I am telling you, I am just impressed with everything that you guys do. And I feel like you really are taking up the torch of liberty for the next generation. and I appreciate it. I really do. And just keep up the great work. And I know you guys are working on. Okay, bye. Your letter could be featured on next week's show.

Send an email to Letters at DailySignal.com or leave a voicemail message at 202-608-6205. Do conversations about the Supreme Court leave you scratching your head? Then subscribe to SCOTUS 101, a podcast breaking down the cases, personalities, and gossip at the Supreme Court. For the good news portion of this podcast, Michaela Stedman has a March Madness story, which is appropriately timed given the NCAA tournament.

So, Michaela, over to you. Thanks, Rob. I hope everyone listening had a great first week of March Madness and that your brackets weren't destroyed too much already. That said, some of you will remember in 2017 when Gonzaga beat Northwestern at the NCAA tournament. And if you remember that game, you will certainly remember John Phillips.

John, whose father is the Northwestern Athletic Director, was absolutely distraught as he watched his team lose to Gonzaga that night. He yelled and even cried so much that the camera focused on him 13 times throughout the game. Those videos eventually went viral, and John became known as the whaling northwestern kid. John's plunge into the public eye was not a favorable one. Just imagine your raw emotions being used in 20-plus thousand tweets. Along with that came the less-than-sensitive comments and messages John received.

Eventually, the craziness did die down. And then Pizza Hut approached John's family. Last month, they asked John if he would be part of their ad campaign for March Madness. John's parents were hesitant, but decided to let their now 14-year-old make the decision. John did his research and found that Pizza Hut operates some donation programs that he was interested in. One is called First Book, which helps kids in need gain access to books. And the harvest program has been donating surplus food to charities since 1992. Long story short, John agreed to be part of Pizza Hut's ad campaign as long as his entire commission was donated to those charities.

John told the Chicago Tribune, I am not interested in getting any more fame from this, believe me. But when the chance came to help others, that's when I agreed to it. And I'm honored to make a positive change out of this. That's a great story, Michaela. I'm glad you found that one. So am I. It made me happy to hear about a young person taking an experience that was clearly difficult and turning it into something. Absolutely. I think we can all learn something from this 14-year-old. I agree. We're going to leave it there for today. The Daily Signal podcast comes to you from the Robert H. Bruce Radio Studio at the Heritage Foundation.

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