RHONY’s Erin Lichy Shares Her Abortion Story

Erin Lichy is sharing her abortion story with the world.

During last night’s Real Housewives of New York, Erin opened up to Jenna Lyons about her choice to get an abortion when she was in college. In addition to sharing her secret with the world, she also shared it with her father.

Just four months after confiding in her father, he unfortunately passed away. It was heartwarming to see her and her dad have that moment and him share his own story associated with abortion. I can only imagine how thankful Erin is to have had that conversation with him prior to his passing.

I’m so happy Erin got to tell her dad about her abortion before he passed. Such a hard, but beautiful scene to watch #RHONY pic.twitter.com/zjVcSxczrK

Erin’s decision to share her story on the show was due to an upcoming interview with Glamour Magazine.

The New Yorker found out that at 18 years old, during her second week of college, she was pregnant.

“I was sitting on the floor for maybe an hour and a half hysterically crying, just like, ‘What am I gonna do? Oh my God.’ It was so terrifying to me,” she revealed to the mag.

Erin didn’t tell anyone about her decision until a year later when she told her mother.

“The most beautiful part about it was that she said, ‘It happened to me too.’”

“It felt like women supporting women. Like, even though she’s my mom she wanted me to know.… Everybody has a story. I would bet that most girls have a similar story, even if it’s [about using] Plan B.”

Though she recounts her abortion as “traumatizing” she’s grateful for the life she has now.

Erin and her husband Abe have three children together, and are expecting their fourth.

“Look, I’ll say this: I can understand the other side in the sense that life is a precious thing, right? It shouldn’t be a flippant decision. It’s a precious thing. It’s a tough, tough decision.… I think it’s really difficult for women, and maybe not everybody talks about that.”

I applaud Erin for having this conversation and opening herself up to the backlash. We know this is a hot ticket topic, especially with the recent election. But vulnerability and authenticity should always be celebrated.

What are your thoughts from last night’s episode?