The survivor of the years-long abuse at the hands of her stepfather Hadley Duvall is now an advocate for reproductive rights.
Key Takeaways
- Hadley Duvall was abused by her stepfather since the age of 5.
- She became pregnant with his child when she was 12.
- Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Hadley shared her story and now advocates for abortion rights for survivors of abuse and in*est.
Hadley Duvall, the American activist for reproductive freedom and abortion rights, is trending once again.
This time for her role in the new Kamala Harris presidential campaign ad campaign.
In the minute-long ad, Hadley speaks about her experience of being abused and impregnated by her stepfather as a child and how the overturn of Roe v. Wade has severely damaged the lives of American women, girls, and victims of abuse and in*est.
Hadley Duvall was born in 2002 in Owensboro, Kentucky, to her mother, Jennifer Adkins Miller, and an absent biological father.
Jennifer, who had a years-long history of dr*g abuse, married Jeremy Whitledge.
Jeremy began abusing Hadley when she was five and eventually impregnated her when she was twelve.
The abuser gave her a choice to either frame the neighbor boy or travel with him to Louisville to get an abortion. Hadley miscarried 2 weeks later.
She kept the incident a secret for nearly a decade before finally breaking her silence in 2022 by sharing her story on Facebook following the Dobbs decision.
In an MSNBC interview, Hadley spoke about how she wanted to tell her mom about the abuse but didn’t out of fear of risking her sobriety.
Eventually, she confessed, telling her,
Mom, I don’t know how to say this to you. I’m just gonna blurt it out. I’ve been sexually abused for 10 years.
MSNBC
Jeremy Whitledge is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for six different convictions.
Her story captivated and resonated with many people, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Hadley’s involvement is said to have contributed significantly to the Democratic leader’s win in the 2023 gubernatorial reelection campaign.
Despite deep psychological scars, Hadley did her best to live a normal life.
She attended Midway University and graduated with a psychology degree focusing on alcohol and drug counseling in 2024.
During college, Hadley was an active member on campus, playing soccer and mentoring younger students.
Currently, she is a highly vocal activist for human rights, from equality to freedom.
Her involvement in Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign is predicted to be an important one.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Kentucky’s current abortion law does not make exceptions for ra*e or in*est.
- As of September 2024, 14 states have criminalized abortion in nearly all circumstances.
