Taraji P. Henson Says 'Guns Have More Rights Than A Woman' At BET Awards

Taraji P. Henson, who hosted the 2022 BET Awards, addressed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling over the weekend.

The 51-year-old actress first praised singer Lizzo, who pledged to donate $1 million to Planned Parenthood non-profit organization, and said, "Thank you to the amazing Lizzo, right? That’s how you start a show! Body positivity up in here. Also thank you, Lizzo, for pledging $1 million to Planned Parenthood."

"And you are damn right it’s about damn time we step into our power," Henson said during her monologue. "It is about time we talk about the fact that guns have more rights than a woman. It’s a sad day in America."

She went on to compare weapons with women and said, "A weapon that can take lives has more power than a woman who can give life if she chooses to."

Henson also congratulated singer Rihanna for welcoming a baby. "Speaking of giving life, Rihanna. She had the baby, that’s right. Congratulations on becoming a mother," she added.

Henson noted that BET (Black Entertainment Television) awards celebrate the Black community and tonight is going to be a "reminder that we don’t need any other show accolades that we can give ourselves."

"This night is for my kings, black men, " she said. "We love you. We hear you. And throughout the show, we are going to celebrate you."

Roe v. Wade was the Supreme Court's landmark decision on Jan. 22, 1973, that protected a pregnant woman's right to choose if she wants to have an abortion or not. Over the weekend, the judgment was overturned, which disappointed many protestors, including celebrities.

Singer Olivia Rodrigo performed at Glastonbury Festival in England over the weekend and dedicated a song, "F--- you, f--- you very, very much/’Cause we hate what you do/And we hate your whole crew," to the five members of the Supreme Court who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"The song is for the justices: Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh. We hate you! We hate you," Rodrigo said.

"So many women and so many girls are going to die because of this," she said on stage. "I’m devastated and terrified. I wanted to dedicate this next song to the five members of the Supreme Court who have showed us that at the end of the day, they truly don’t give a s--- about freedom."