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'Unplanned' Actress Ashley Bratcher Had a Message for Hollywood on Their Threatened Boycott of Georgia Over Heartbeat Bill

Ashley Bratcher, star of the new pro-life film “Unplanned,” wrote an open letter to Hollywood after many in the industry threatened to boycott the state of Georgia if it passes legislation banning abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

Bratcher, a Georgia native, addressed her letter to actress Alyssa Milano, who had spearheaded the boycott threat.

“Mother to mother, actress to actress, and as a proud Georgian, I’ve got some things to say to you,” she wrote. “Hollywood may be silent on women’s rights but Georgia, the new home of the movie industry, is making its voice heard loud and clear. I’m incredibly proud of my home state for taking a stand in the fight for life amidst backlash and dubious threats.”

Bratcher went on to reference her shocking personal story of recently discovering that she had almost been aborted.

“I can’t help but think how you would feel in my shoes,” she wrote. “Having just learned months ago that my life was spared on an abortion table, it definitely put a few things in perspective for me. You had the privilege of being born in 1972. My generation was not so lucky. Over 61 million lives never reached their full potential. How many doctors, scientists, philosophers, and even actors like you and me, never had the chance to leave their beautiful marks on the world?”

“You claim that the HB481 ‘Heartbill Bill’ would make Georgia the most regressive state in the country; I couldn’t disagree more,” Bratcher continued. “Abortion is so 1973. Welcome to 2019, a time in which medical advances preserve the life of babies born as early as 21 weeks. In case you didn’t know, that’s three weeks earlier than what most states in the U.S. consider 'viable' in their abortion legislation.”

Bratcher also argued that the pro-life movement empowers women.

“Women do not seek abortions because they feel strong or empowered, they seek them because they are scared,” she said. “They seek abortions because society and the new-age feminist movement perpetuates the lie that women cannot be successful and be mothers. Those of us on the other side of the fence are here with open arms saying, ‘Yes, you can!’”

“Mother to mother, I invite you to see my new movie, Unplanned,” she concluded. “Abby Johnson’s testimony changed my life. Who knows, maybe it could change yours too.”

While Milano did not specifically respond to Bratcher's letter or her invitation to see the movie, she tweeted a thread explaining her opposition to the bill Thursday.

"Unplanned" hit select theaters Friday and is based on the true story of former Planned Parenthood employee Abby Johnson who left the abortion industry. The film has already challenged the beliefs of some pro-abortion viewers.