A recent controversy between pro-life and pro-abortion groups was this time not based on ideological differences, but instead it is the life and historic legacy of one woman that is the issue; Norma McCorvey, commonly known as ‘Jane Roe.’

Norma McCorvey was the original plaintiff in the 1973 US Supreme Court Decision, Roe v Wade, which legalised abortion across the US states. Throughout the 1980s, Ms McCorvey embodied the face of America’s pro-abortion movement before her bombshell revelation in 1995, that she had re-examined her ideology and had become a pro-life campaigner.

Before her death in 2017, Ms McCorvey committed the remaining years of her life to attempting to reverse the violent abortion law that her own efforts had previously helped to introduce.

It was during 2017 also, that Ms McCorvey, took part in an explosive documentary, aired earlier this month, where she claims that her anti-abortion stance was “all an act” which was paid for by pro-life activists.

A deathbed confession or a director with an agenda?

The documentary, entitled AKA Jane Roe, was directed by documentary filmmaker Nick Sweeney, who recently produced the documentary, Transgender Kids Camp.

AKA Jane Roe, followed the remarkable life story of Norma McCorvey. It is towards the concluding 20 minutes of the documentary that Ms McCorvey appears to renounce her pro-life stance, claiming that is was “all an act.”

Ms McCorvey said: “I took their money and they took me out in front of the cameras and told me what to say. That’s what I’d say…'I'm a good actress…If a young woman wants to have an abortion - fine. That’s no skin off my a**. You know, that’s why they call it "choice." It’s your choice.' 

Despite being produced in 2017, the producers made the questionable decision to release the documentary in 2020, years after Ms McCorvey’s death, thereby denying her the opportunity to view the final cut or comment on the content.

This decision by producers has led many viewers to question whether the team behind this documentary had ulterior motives.

Additionally, the release of this documentary seemed to have been strategically distributed during the lead-up to a major US Supreme Court decision on abortion and the presidential election.

Abortion ties uncovered

Despite being the leading face of AKA Jane Roe, filmmaker Nick Sweeney is actually not the only person behind the production of this documentary.

In April 2020, Sweeney posted his praise and thanks on social media for PRETTYBIRD and Vice Studios, for working alongside him to produce the ‘bombshell’ documentary.

It is not difficult to uncover the very public ties that PRETTYBIRD and Vice Studios have with the abortion industry.

In 2016, PRETTYBIRD was involved in the production of documentary, Planned Parenthood 100 years, which glorified Planned Parenthood founder, eugenicist Margaret Sanger. More recently, PRETTYBIRD contributed to the production of the short film, Ours To Tell, which has now been shown and distributed repeatedly by Planned Parenthood.

Vice Studios, is a sister organisation of pro-abortion news outlet, Vice Media. Vice Media are commonly known for their biased reporting in support of radical pro-abortion regulations. According to online database, IMBD, AKA Jane Roe’s executive producers included three Vice Media leaders, Natalie Farrey, Danny Gabai and Elle Malan.

The documentary, in which a most prominent and historic figure in the pro-life movement renounced her pro-life stance, was produced by organisations which have direct ties to one of the world’s leading abortion giants.

In considering the truth behind Ms McCorvey’s ‘confession’ this fact cannot and should not go unignored.

Defending Ms McCorvey

Naturally, upon the release of this documentary, pro-life leaders, some of which who knew Ms McCorvey extremely well, were outspoken in her defense and pro-life credentials.

Many have denied that Ms McCorvey was ever offered money to “act” pro-life, whilst others have claimed that upon investigation, the content was cunningly cut to misrepresent Ms McCorvey and her beliefs.

An unsettling possibility that the film took advantage of the vulnerability of a woman in her final days has also now come to light.

Father Frank Pavone, who was a friend to Ms McCorvey and her spiritual director for over two decades has spoken out in her defence.

Speaking to Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life, Fr Pavone said: “I have texts from her. In fact, one of the texts was on one of the specific days in May of 2016 when she was being interviewed for this.

“She was in a very bad state of mind that day, very bad, and the texts I have demonstrated that.”

Father Pavone went on to describe how Ms McCorvey had texted him to say that she was financially “broke and extremely upset”. However later the same day she sent another text with great excitement because she was to be paid “some good money” from the documentary producers interviewing her.

The idea that Ms McCorvey has been exploited by agenda driven filmmakers during her last year of life is an opinion held by many of those who knew Ms McCorvey.

Rebecca Kiessling, campaigner and founder of pro-life organisation Save the 1, who had met with Ms McCorvey, is another person who has publicly shared this opinion.

She said: “Norma had serious mental health issues and lots of people in the pro-life movement knew it. I met her in person when we both spoke at an event held on my birthday and I was 9 months pregnant and had my birthmother with me. She kept wanting to cancel the event, but did end up speaking.

“Norma McCorvey and I were Facebook friends for the time she was on Facebook, but the things she posted were extremely bizarre.

“She was cancelled by #ProLife speakers bureaus as a speaker because of her erratic behaviour, including no-showing for events, cancelling last-minute, saying she can't speak. She'd blame her behaviour on the toll of being responsible for over a million dead babies each year.

“In this new documentary where she has her "deathbed confession" that she's always been for abortion rights, who knows what those people were doing to exploit her? Given her mental state, it's not a shock to me that this video has come out.”

The truth does not change: Abortion kills

Pro-abortion advocates consider Ms McCorvey’s confession to be somewhat of a ‘game changer’ in the abortion battle, and that this revelation (if true) somehow changes the morality surrounding abortion.

And of course, those closest to Ms McCorvey, will instinctively want to protect her character, especially if it is to be believed that she has been purposely misrepresented.

However, in my opinion, the controversy and bickering produced by this documentary has overshadowed the one imperishable truth; abortion kills children and it will never be acceptable

AKA Jane Roe, and the ‘confession’ made by Ms McCorvey does not in any way impact the truth regarding abortion.

Abortion is the violent discrimination against an entire group of humans, which has no place in 2020. This is an imperishable truth, that cannot and has not been in any way impacted by AKA Jane Roe.

We must ensure that the controversy and conversation now occurring around the life of Ms McCorvey does not allow us to lose sight of the truth which has not changed and will never do so.