In a poignant revelation on CBS Sunday Morning, Stevie Nicks attributed the enduring success of Fleetwood Mac beyond their seminal 1977 album "Rumours" to her decision to undergo an abortion. "I was in disbelief," she recounted of her unexpected pregnancy, "Fleetwood Mac was already three years into our journey, thriving and poised to release our third album. My immediate reaction was a resounding 'Oh no, no, no, no, no, no.'"
During that period, Nicks was romantically involved with Eagles' frontman Don Henley. She confessed, "I would have struggled immensely to balance being in the studio every day with anticipating the arrival of a child." Moreover, she elaborated, "Bringing a child into the world with Don Henley, especially amid the complexities of my broken relationship with Lindsey and within Fleetwood Mac, would have spelled disaster. It was a prospect too daunting to contemplate."
Nicks was astonished to find herself pregnant, believing she was "impregnable" due to her intrauterine device (IUD).
Her latest single, "The Lighthouse," an emotional testament to her abortion experience and the contemporary landscape of women's rights post-Roe v. Wade, has been a subject of her promotional efforts. CBS described it as a "rallying cry," and Nicks revealed it took her just a day to pen. Her motive for releasing the song stemmed from the urgency felt after Roe v. Wade was overturned: "People kept urging, 'Someone needs to act. Someone needs to speak out.'"
In an interview with Rolling Stone last week, Nicks further opened up about her abortion. "I was at a loss. Having a child was not an option for me," she confessed. "I'm not the type to leave my baby in the hands of a nanny, ever. The thought of touring the world with an infant was unthinkable. I realized it would take more than nine months, perhaps even a couple of years, to properly address such a commitment, which undoubtedly would have disbanded the band. Hence, my decision to terminate the pregnancy."
The article titled, "Stevie Nicks Reveals Fleetwood Mac's Fate Would Have Been Sealed in the 1970s Without Her Abortion," originally appeared on TheWrap.
