Chelsea Handler reveals abortions in Playboy essay on choice

Chelsea Handler says in an essay for Playboy that she had two abortions as a teenager and never regretted the decision. Photo / AP

Chelsea Handler had two abortions at the age of 16.

The 41-year-old chat show host opened up about having two pregnancies terminated within the same year and says she initially wanted to keep the first baby, but her parents could see it would be "ridiculous" so they sent her to Planned Parenthood to get an abortion.

In an emotional essay for Playboy Magazine's Freedom issue, she wrote: "Getting an abortion wasn't the first idea that popped into my unripened brain. I was going through a very bad stage in my life.

"I hated my parents and I was having unprotected sex with my boyfriend, who was not someone I should've been having sex with in the first place, never mind unprotected sex.

"I wasn't really playing with a full deck of cards, and when I got pregnant I just thought, 'Why not? I can have a baby. Maybe I'll have twins and give them rhyming names!'

"Of course, the idea that I would have a child and raise it by myself at that age, when I couldn't even find my way home at night, was ridiculous.

"My parents saw that, so they acted like parents for one of the very first times in my life and took me to Planned Parenthood. I felt parented, ironically, while I was getting an abortion. And when it was over, I was relieved in every possible way."

The blonde beauty also revealed she had to "scrape together" the cash to pay for the termination of her second pregnancy.

She said: "I had to scrape together the $230 to pay Planned Parenthood, but it was a safe abortion."

However, despite admitting it was "irresponsible" to "f*** up twice" so young, Chelsea doesn't regret the choices she made.

She continued: "Getting unintentionally pregnant more than once is irresponsible, but it's still necessary to make a thoughtful decision. We all make mistakes all the time. I happened to f*** up twice at the age of 16. I'm grateful that I came to my senses and was able to get an abortion legally without risking my health or bankrupting myself or my family.

"I'm 41 now. I don't ever look back and think, 'God, I wish I'd had that baby.'"

- Bang! Showbiz