Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the date of Nicholson’s interview and include a fuller quote.
Jack Nicholson is a Hollywood legend. He has starred in at least 65 films since 1958. But unlike the rest of Hollywood, he is anti-abortion, and for a VERY good reason.
As he explained in a classic interview, it was only due to the moral character of his grandmother and mother that kept him from being aborted.
In 1937 his mother was young – only 17 years old – and as a showgirl dancer, having a child would have been an incredible burden. Jack was raised by his maternal grandparents, John Nicholson and Ethel May. He believed they were his real parents until 1974, when he learned the truth after June Francis, his birth mother, died of cancer.
As he explained to Rolling Stone in 1984:
I’m very contra my constituency in terms of abortion because I’m positively against it. I don’t have the right to any other view. My only emotion is gratitude, literally, for my life. If June and Ethel had been of less character, I would never have gotten to live. These women gave me the gift of life. It’s a feminist narrative in the very pure form.
Via Life News
Jack never learned who his father was, as only his mother and grandmother knew. The secret died with them.
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Isn’t it tragic to think how close the world was to never knowing such a great Hollywood talent? I wonder who else we have lost thanks to the abortion movement.
Thank you Jack Nicholson for sharing your private story and speaking out in favor of life!
Please share his story with friends on Facebook and Twitter!
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I’m kinda funny. I don’t give a crap what Hollywood has to say about anything.
I firmly believe we have lost so many people that would have given so much to enrich society.God only knows what was taken fromus🙏🏻😥🙏🏻😥
I’m so glad he was willing to share his story. Family histories are usually the best ones, and there is almost always a lesson we can learn from them. Jack came from a generation that actually kept their lives private. Especially something like this. I would like to think anyone reading this will take that into consideration, and realize how important this issue must be to him. God bless him.
People are just plain stupid about abortion, birth control and contraceptives. Why parent don’t tell their kids because they’re too busy thinking they’re adults, too lazy and self consumed and it’s not a subject to be discussed. So the final solution is to commit murder. Course I’m gonna blame the Democrats. They never had brains.
I am one who chose abortion, it is a very selfish act that changes you. Afterwards I met a very understanding and forgiving Christian man who introduced me to Jesus Christ, we married and we now have two wonderful grown children. I know that my unborn baby is safe in the arms of Jesus but I do wonder what beautiful life I ended and what the world missed out on. I also know that had abortion not be legal either I would have been more conscientious about unprotected sex or I would have three children instead of two. I know that I will meet my child someday when I too am in the presence of God and Jesus Christ.
Think that some child that has been aborted might have solved many of our problems, come up with a cure for deadly disease and so many other talented people we have lost to abortion. Yes, some might have been bad people, but those are usually far fewer than those that have talents that contibute to society.
If any of you have not watched the Gosnell movie I highly recommend that you do. It is the with out a doubt a dose of reality on the evil of abortion and those who adamantly support and condone it. After watching it I felt ashamed for our nation allowing this practice to continue. Here we are a country that is closing in on abolishing capital punishment of those who have murdered the innocent and on the other hand condoning the murder of the most innocent of all humans, a helpless child with a beating heart, a brain that is activiley functioning, and feelings. That is not to mention those who now will allow it to be murdered after the child has been delivered if the mother so chooses.. You will not see the gory details of Gosnell’s work but in the movie which is not necessary to in order to understand what took place in the hell hole of his clinic.
I”m glad it worked out for her; but it didn’t for me.
My wife is adopted. She thanks God that her birth mother carried her and gave her up for
adoption instead of killing her in the womb. I’m as grateful as she is.
A person may question the existence of God and still be against infanticide.
And to think Jack, who is an Atheits holds such life in such honor.
Let’s face it, abortion is largely a selfish, self-service measure to cover up a “mistake” that was made; case closed.
If abortion had been legal in 1943 I would not be here. I thank God every day that I beat the deadline.
I’m so sorry that you had to go through life feeling unwanted. Every life is precious. I’m sure you are loved more than you know. My childhood was also filled with doubt that I was loved. My mother had told me at times that she wished I was never born. My mother was born in Europe and lived through WWII. She married my dad, an American soldier. She left her family to come to the US. She had no support as a young woman. She did have mental illness. It took me a long time to forgive her.
You got a lot b4ll5 being on outside looking in. I’ve no sympathy for you and for that statement and wish you survived being aborted, rejected and thrown out to live in the street. You might learn something about compassion.
You my friend are always seeing the glass half empty. Try looking through your children’s eyes, or did you abort them?
It’s hard to fathom the creator of all caring for one wretch…let alone 7 billion of us knuckleheads…(and all else that was made), so i kinda understand some comments. There are many honest and uplifting comments here, too, though.
I was terrified to be a father…was terrified for my wife as well. Her first pregnancy was like most first timers , i imagine, but when Ethan arrived, took his first breath, cried it out, and fell quiet upon his mother’s chest……there has yet to be any experience that has ever come close in my life. Seeing a life ….brand new….idk….
It must be agonizing to make the choice to steal every second of every experience of a future human.
Yeah…. out of all of the millions of abortions in the pa st (and present… and future), it’s easy to imagine many thousands of them becoming great people, but every last one of them could have experienced a million different beautiful events of their own before they pass.
I feel conflicted with many emotions….prolly much like the expectant mother considering abortion.
Please, if you’re gonna act like an adult and CHOOSE to be sexually active, understand
that THAT was the time to make CHOICES…you’re too late once you’re pregnant.
I hope that I’m not coming off righteous or do-goody. I understand that there are rapes and other exceptions (?), but when one goes to the web site and see all the past abortions and current ones, it’s evident that these abortions are primarily convenience. EVIL
I can tell you regardless how we came into this life the only way out is death and as long as you are breathing, LIVE. Don’t dwell on why and should a could a enjoy the good news that God loved you enough to give up his own Son and that is way more love than that of a mother that didn’t want you. Let the love you have inside you over shadow any feelings of hate from an earthly parent you have the love of almighty GOD!!!!!
I am so sorry you have had to live with that pain and knowledge. It is unfair from beginning to end. How a parent can hate their child is simply beyond me. There have been times when I didn’t like my child but never a moment when I didn’t love her will all my soul. Every living thing deserves that love. I am sorry you were deprived of it. I hope, if you had children of your own, that you got to experience the parental bond from that side at least. Truly, my heart breaks for you.
My mother did try to abort me but it failed. I know what it feels like to wish you were never born. My life has been very, very difficult because she didn’t want me. I’m in my 60s now and in bad health, have been for a very long time because my mother didn’t get prenatal care. That’s alot of hate for a small child to have to live with. I’ve wondred all my life what I ever did that my mom hated me so much. That’s all I will say for now but I do feel that if I had been aborted, I wouldn’t have known about it and wouldn’t have missed much.
Just think if your mother decided to abort you! That should be enough to be against abortion!
Only in America is an eagle egg more protected than our infant humans…….
Jack’s mother was prettier than him.
A commie with a redeeming quality….whup d do!
I think there are quite a few other Hollywoodians that would second Jack Nicholson’s position. But they prefer to remain silent fearing ostracism of the industry.
Great comment Mr. Nicholson. My daughter was adopted when she was 8 weeks old. That in itself was the moment in life I started to cherish the thought of life. She got married and I had another moment in life of having a son in law. And now, just 6 weeks ago she blessed me with a grandson. So you see how much life has been bestowed upon me and for that I am, will, and forever be grateful for the word LIFE. If her biological mother had an abortion, none of these lifes would have occurred.
Thank you Jack.
God bless him !
I tell how God the Holy Spirit sent me to a young group (Jan. 22,1999) to tell the abortion stories which He wanted the youth group to hear. The following Sunday morning God had a promise of a reunion which I spoke to the youth group leader on Jan. 24,’99 and this promise can be for your also and any other mother who has had an abortion.. If interested Google: “watchman48 The Greater Message.”
Thank you Jack for the true words spoken. I had an abortion once and regret it immensely. Then when I expected my last child I was advised to have an abortion because the amniosynthesis (done because of my age)showed something was probably wrong with the fetus but they did not know what was wrong and for safety I should rather abort it. I refused. My husband and mother in law were not happy with my choise to proceed but Thank the Lord I did. A beautiful son I have today .
I just think if you don’t believe in abortion, then don’t get one. There should be limits though as far as the maximum time to decide if you do want/need one
Conception is not our choice,, It is God’s choice..And now their are millions of good people that want to adopt in the U.S. and very few babies to adopt, although there are millions of babies that should be adopted.. People label make excuses for abortion in many ways, however…ABORTION IS MURDER, YOU ARE KILLING A HUMAN BEING!
BS like most men who have never had to deal with the decision , Do I or dont I shouldn’t have a say anyway, I am a believer that unless you are married to him and he is taking care of the family that yes he should be included, but to take the right of my choice away from me , BS stay out of it, And to these holier then tho people who believe its not my right, BS it is and always should be and people should stay out of other people business, It doesnt affect you , you are not stepping forward to adopt all of these poor kids in the welfare system that were born because some woman was dumb enough to get pregnant in the first place, And the percentage that waited to long, well no one said to them don’t I will take it and raise it . Some may think its barbaric But I went to school with girls in the 60s that went to ally ways in the City I grew up in Paid back yard Drs because it was against the moral law, Parents hid the fact , sent them to unwed mothers homes to have the baby taken the instant it was born because they didn’t have the right to say if they could keep it or not. Go get a Life of your own stop living someone else’s
We truly live in a barbaric society, as bad or worse than Old Europe. Technology has blinded us to the real and natural reasons for our existence.
What a great guy Jack Nickolson is to state that he could have been aborted and that he is grateful that his mother chose life.
Below is Mother Mary’s statement on abortion through the messenger Elizabeth C. Prophet in 1996
“In the past I have spoken softly. Today I deliver a stern warning. Let it be clear that souls are destined to incarnate when God ordains it and not at the convenience of others or even not at all. Blessed ones, if the coming decades bring cataclysm and upheaval in the earth, it will be because the wrath of God has descended.
“Up until now God, Elohim, has withheld his wrath that you might right the wrongs of this civilization. For through your invocation of the violet flame, there is yet time wherein you might atone for the sins of this world.
“But the open door of opportunity is soon coming to an end. And those who selfishly indulge
their lusts, those who have no time to love a child or to bring children into this world (though they themselves have come through mothers and fathers) will be judged when that day and that hour finally descends. And I tell you it shall be a planetary judgment upon those who have either refused to bring forth children or who have aborted them.
“Abortion is truly the most profound crime of the century, for it is the murder of souls as well as bodies. The children who are finally born, often having tried a number of times to enter this world in order to fulfill their mission, may become angry children. For, believe it or not, they remember their abortions. They remember them, beloved! And these aborted souls are outraged before this injustice and they cry out in anguish, pleading for mercy from the wombs of their mothers. Know
this and teach this that all may come into alignment with God’s plan for every soul on earth.
“Although many doctors who regularly perform abortions think that the fetus is merely a “product
of conception” that does not feel pain, I tell you they are wrong. As late as the 1970s many doctors thought that even babies outside the womb did not feel pain and they would perform surgery on them with little or no anesthesia. But according to Harvard Medical School pediatrician Dr. Charles Berde, research has shown that babies actually feel more pain than older patients —longer lasting, more widespread pain. Now, we are far beyond the 1970s and all doctors should be able to conclude from these studies that horrendous pain is inflicted upon a baby
during an abortion. Yet the abortions continue.
“And so I would part the veil for you that you may hear the screams of the unborn, feel the terror of their souls, witness their rage for having been denied ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’
for they have not been allowed to play their parts on the stage of the world. Then you might fall upon your knees and implore Almighty God, saying: ‘From now on I shall devote my dynamic decrees to the protection of the unborn and all souls preparing to be born. And I shall call for the judgment of those who have murdered the holy innocents in every nation for two thousand years and more.’
“The Messenger told you decades ago how heavy is the karma that would be upon the United States of America and all nations if they should fail to bring forth the children whose destiny requires them to be here at the right and lawful time and place.
“This outrage has reached the Solar Logoi and beyond. And if you would like to know why you do not enjoy the sponsorship of many great beings of light or why some of the hierarchs of this system of worlds have washed their hands of this planet, well, I will tell you why. It is because of the
mistreatment of incoming souls. Whether they bear heavy or light karma, whether they are highly intelligent or not, they are souls who must fulfill their destiny in order that they might move on.
“So now a certain number of hierarchs of light, the preponderance thereof being from Sirius and serving under the God Surya, have taken notice of this condition. They have said: “We will not interfere any longer, for the karma that is descending is the karma of the denial of the Christ Child,
who lives in all children. For every child is holy until he proves himself otherwise.”
Mother Mary
December 24, 1996
I was put up for adoption in 1952. I could easily have been aborted. I will be ever grateful that my birth mother chose life for me.
Whom ever the guy is or was as Jack’s Father he’d be very Proud of him and his Career also in helping many other people in his life. His Grandparents raised him great !
His smile in that picture still reminds me of “The Joker”
What about all the wonderful people that didn’t make it past a condom. And I think it’s interesting that people are praising Nicholson even though he is against every other thing most of you believe in.
Matt – Who are you to speak for other people? There are those who have carried a rape pregnancy to term and have never regretted it. It’s between the woman and God to determine what she can handle and what she cannot. Stop pushing your lying, scheming liberal agenda. The rest of us are seeing through what you and your people really want and it’s to play God yourselves! Get lost!!
Matt: your post is all wrong…first his mother was 17 not 13 and there was no mention of rape…..get a grip dude…..my mother was 16 and my father 18 and the coupling was consensual, her pregnancy was not, still rather than abort me, she carried full term, and placed me for adoption. As a consequence there are fifteen people alive because of her decision……Thank you Mom……
Matt: your post is all wrong…first his mother was 17 not 13 and there was no mention of rape…..get a grip dude…..
so what he is saying is the 13yr old girl has to have her brother since her dad can’t keep it in his pants? that the woman has to give birth to a child that will be a constant reminder of the horror that is rape? i do agree if you make your bed you lay in it. but i don’t agree they should have to lay in a bed that someone else tore up. i’m just glad he didn’t use religious mis-information to back his POV i can respect that.
for those who sanction abortion for Hitler and his ilk, please go back a step further to see who influenced Hitler in his eugenicist movement against an entire race; Margaret Sanger! The very woman who wanted to deprive swaths of society of their God-given right to continue their generational family tree was admired by Hitler. It all comes back to abortion and population control and the elitists who think themselves above God.
Thank God…. I have been boycotting movies by stars who blindly support the liberal agenda, or racism, or think that because they are a celebrity, it gives them the right to chose what’s best for the American people.
Pretty soon its going to be just DVDs of John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and Chuck Norris movies
I am against abortion. Of course, it is always available to middle class and above as they can just go to wherever it is legal to have it done. Of course, it god doesn’t want the baby aborted, then he won’t let it happen.
Shavager, you nailed it! No further comments necessary.
ABORTION has NEVER been about a “woman’s right”, it’s about POPULATION CONTROL in America. The same leftwing radicals who tout abortion as a “woman’s right” are the same radicals that want open borders and stand for massive ILLEGAL immigration–it’s all about CHANGING THE DEMOGRAPHICS of America from a NATIVE population to a country of outsiders who have NO ALLEGIANCE to our Constitution or the principles of our Founding Fathers. That’s why some 55+ MILLION aborted Americans have been replaced by 40+ MILLION ALIENS during the same time frame. Changing America, ONE ABORTION AT A TIME!
Along time ago my doctor(very religious)and a specialist told us that I should have an abortion because I had nearly died a year before due to accident.. When I went to a Catholic hospital the Sisters prayed with and for me. When in the operating room I said, I am sorry for all this trouble but I cannot have my baby killed. The sisters were very happy I believe they prayed for this to happen. I was watched very carefully for 8 1/2 months and then I had the baby by cesarean section. It was the easiest birth ever and I had a perfect healthy eight lb boy.
My mother was an unwed 15 year old who was taken advantage of by a 20 year old married man. He was the lead singer in a band, and he had all the moves. She didn’t know he was married w/ 2 kids until she had lived with him on the road for a few months and he kicked her to the road. My grand father kicked her out, she was homeless. Her brothers were taking her to a state that abortion was legal in, and when they got close to the doctors office she changed her mind.
I, my wife of 31 years, my adult children, and grand child are very happy I was not Aborted!
I AM AN ABORTION SURVIVOR! and so is my mother, she was saved from the eternal emotional scars that come with it. (If it had been legal at a local doctors office I could be dead, she wouldn’t have had that long drive to think it over.
Every child born has survived the chance that he or she could have been aborted, aren’t you glad you weren’t either?