The former SNL star ties her personal journey to her advocacy for reproductive freedom as she shares her experience of IVF at 40.
Cecily Strong, known for her versatile characters and unapologetic honesty on Saturday Night Live, has announced her pregnancy via IVF, using her joyous news to echo an essential message on reproductive rights ahead of Tuesday’s election. In an emotional Instagram post, Strong linked her pregnancy to her 2022 “Goober the Clown” sketch, a memorable piece that used humor to address her own experience with abortion at 23.
“A couple of years ago, I did a piece on SNL as Goober the Clown, who had an abortion the day before her 23rd birthday,” Strong wrote. “I’m happy to report that same clown is now very happily pregnant from IVF at 40.” Her revelation adds a new layer to the Goober character, which highlighted the often-hidden struggles of those who’ve undergone abortions and the need for safe, accessible reproductive health care.
In her Goober sketch, Strong deftly balanced personal vulnerability with humor, discussing the complexities of her experience with abortion while in clown makeup, complete with red nose and honking horn. She spoke to the audience in character, saying, “Did you know one in three clowns will have a clown abortion in their lifetime? You don’t, because they don’t tell you. They don’t even know how to talk to other clowns about it. It’s going to happen, so it ought to be safe, legal, and accessible.”
Reflecting on that powerful moment, Strong recalled the overwhelming support she received from her SNL colleagues, who encouraged her to tell her story. “I had so much anxiety and frustration,” she shared on The View, “and it was like, ‘I’m either gonna write, every night, essays for nobody, or I can finally just put this on the show.'” To her surprise, it was the only segment she’s ever done on SNL that didn’t receive any notes, a testament to the significance her team placed on its message.
Her pregnancy announcement is also a poignant call to action. “It’s kind of insane and scary to disclose all of this,” she admitted in her post, “but for me — it’s much scarier to think about what could happen after Tuesday’s election.” Strong urged her followers to vote in support of reproductive health care, pointing to issues currently on the ballot in multiple states. She mentioned her concerns about Project 2025, a conservative agenda which, although not explicitly mentioning a national abortion ban, aims to restrict access to abortion medications like mifepristone and shift the Department of Health and Human Services away from defining abortion as health care.
The comedian also reflected on her diverse experiences in reproductive health care settings, from sitting alone in an abortion clinic in California at 23 to anxiously awaiting news during her fertility treatments in New York. “I’ve been in lots of waiting rooms with other women throughout my life,” she wrote. “Feeling terrified and lonely all those years ago, to feeling frustrated and anxious in fertility offices, to giddily talking everyone’s ear off and wishing everyone around me good luck.”
Amidst her joy, Strong expressed gratitude for the support she received from family, friends, and strangers who shared their own experiences, many of whom had never spoken openly about them before. “I had a friend sit with me and give me the biggest hug after my abortion at 23, only for me to sit with her and give her the biggest hug 17 years later after a difficult pregnancy loss.”
Strong’s words are a reminder of the spectrum of reproductive experiences, from abortion to IVF, and the need to protect access to compassionate care. As she embarks on this next chapter, Strong’s advocacy for reproductive rights remains as steadfast as ever, inviting others to protect, uplift, and support all those who share in these powerful, and sometimes challenging, life experiences.
