Norma McCorvey, known by the pseudonym Jane Roe, played a pivotal role in shaping abortion rights in the United States. Her life story is not just a tale of legal battles but also a reflection of the complex societal views on women's rights and reproductive health. McCorvey's journey from anonymity to becoming a symbol of the abortion debate showcases the often tumultuous relationship between personal beliefs and public advocacy.
Born on September 22, 1947, in Simmesport, Louisiana, McCorvey's early life was marked by instability and hardship. After her landmark case, Roe v. Wade, which was decided in 1973, she became the face of the pro-choice movement, advocating for women's rights to make decisions about their own bodies. However, her life took another turn as she later became an anti-abortion activist, raising questions about the motivations and influences behind her public stance.
Her story is filled with contradictions and revelations, particularly highlighted in her later years when she claimed that her anti-abortion activism was driven by financial gain rather than genuine belief. This complex narrative invites us to consider the broader implications of her life choices and the ongoing debate surrounding reproductive rights in America.
Table of Contents
- Who Was Jane Roe?
- Quick Facts
- Early Life
- Roe v. Wade
- Becoming an Anti-Abortion Activist
- Personal Life and Later Years
- Death and Deathbed Confession
- Roe Baby’s Identity Revealed
- Roe v. Wade Gets Overturned
Who Was Jane Roe?
Jane Roe was the pseudonym for Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff behind the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which determined that the right to an abortion was protected by the U.S. Constitution. McCorvey, who worked for abortion clinics following the 1973 ruling, later became an outspoken activist against abortion and tried to have Roe v. Wade overturned but was unsuccessful in her lifetime. Prior to her death in 2017, McCorvey delivered what she called a “deathbed confession” in which she never believed in the anti-abortion movement and only participated in it for financial gain.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Norma Lea Nelson McCorvey |
|---|---|
| Born | September 22, 1947 |
| Died | February 18, 2017 |
| Birthplace | Simmesport, Louisiana |
| Spouse | Woody McCorvey |
| Children | Melissa, Jennifer, and Shelley |
| Astrological Sign | Virgo |
Early Life
Norma Lea Nelson was born on September 22, 1947, in Simmesport, Louisiana. Her father, a television repairman named Olin Nelson, abandoned the family when Norma was young, and her alcoholic mother, Mary Gautreaux, moved the family to Houston. Norma got into trouble for stealing at a young age and was made a ward of the court, spending time in a state institution, which she called the happiest times of her life, according to The Guardian.
In the early 1960s, Norma married Woody McCorvey when she was 16. They had a daughter together named Melissa, but Norma divorced Woody after he allegedly became physically abusive toward her. Norma signed custody of Melissa over to her mother, who then kicked Norma out of the house. McCorvey claimed her mother tricked her into signing the adoption papers, telling her they were insurance papers, but her mother said McCorvey willingly agreed to the adoption.
Roe v. Wade
McCorvey had another baby named Jennifer in 1967, who she gave up for adoption. Two years later, she became pregnant again; the father has never been publicly identified, except by the first name Bill. McCorvey attempted to get an abortion in Dallas, but when Texas law prohibited it, she was connected with lawyers Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington, who were looking for a pregnant woman seeking an abortion so they could bring a case to trial and challenge the law. McCorvey agreed to be a plaintiff in the lawsuit, which led to the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade.
McCorvey wished to remain anonymous, so she was given the pseudonym “Jane Roe,” which is used when the plaintiff wishes to remain anonymous. It took three years of trials before the Supreme Court verdict was reached, and so McCorvey was not able to receive an abortion and gave birth to the child, who was put up for adoption. At one point, McCorvey had claimed the child was the result of a rape, hoping that would improve her chances of getting an abortion, though she later admitted that was a lie. Later in life, McCorvey would reconnect with the child at the center of the case.
Becoming an Anti-Abortion Activist
Although anonymous during the case, McCorvey publicly identified herself as Jane Roe shortly after the verdict was reached. During the 1980s and early ’90s, she worked in abortion clinics and largely stayed out of the spotlight. But that all changed with the publication of her 1994 autobiography, I Am Roe. During a book signing event that same year, she was screamed at by evangelical minister and anti-abortion activist Flip Benham, who said she was “responsible for the death of 33 million children.” Despite this encounter, however, McCorvey and Benham became friends, and the next year, she converted to Evangelical Protestantism during a baptism Behnam performed in a Dallas backyard swimming pool, which was broadcast on national television.
McCorvey quit her abortion clinic job and became an advocate for Benham’s organization Operation Rescue, which sought to make abortion illegal. She expressed regret for her role in the Roe v. Wade case and said she believed she had been used and manipulated by pro-abortion activists. “I’m pro-life. I think I have always been pro-life, I just didn’t know it,” she announced, according to The New York Times, adding that she considers any abortions after the first trimester to be “killing.” Benham claimed McCorvey had “been saved out of the abortion industry” and that she “feels very badly about what she helped usher into this nation.”
Personal Life and Later Years
McCorvey began identifying as a lesbian shortly after her marriage to Woody ended. She met Connie Gonzalez shortly after the birth of McCorvey’s third daughter, while Roe v. Wade was still before the courts. McCorvey and Gonzalez began a romantic relationship that lasted for 35 years, though McCorvey started calling their relationship “platonic” after her conversion to Evangelical Protestantism. (They continued living together until their relationship ended in 2006.)
McCorvey converted to Catholicism in 1998, the same year she published her second book, Won by Love. She continued to protest against abortion and, in 2004, sought to have Roe v. Wade overturned, claiming it should be reconsidered in light of new information about the long-term emotional harm abortion inflicts upon women. The case was dismissed by a federal appeals court.
Death and Deathbed Confession
McCorvey died of heart failure in an assisted-living home in Katy, Texas, on February 18, 2017, at the age of 69.
Three years after her death, a documentary called AKA Jane Roe
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