Hollywood Actress' 'Support Life' Tweet Ignites Controversy and Attacks: 'I'm All For Post-Birth Abortions

It's no secret that Patricia Heaton, star of "The Middle" and "Everybody Loves Raymond," is outspokenly pro-life. After all, Heaton, a Christian who is a fixture in Hollywood, is known for vocally speaking out against abortion.

But, despite that common knowledge, a simple tweet that she recently sent on the subject has ignited controversy.

The message, sent on May 12, simply read, "Choose, celebrate, support Life! Thanks Northwest Center!" It included a re-tweet from a woman named Gloria Purvis, which read, "A Pregnancy Center & Maternity Home that cares for the mother father & child b4 and after birth."

The original tweet also included a video that explained the work of the Northwest Center, a Washington D.C.-based, pro-life organization that Heaton voiced support for.

It didn't take long for other Twitter users to react to Heaton's open support of pregnancy centers, which frequently catch the ire of liberals and pro-choice advocates for their opposition to abortion; crisis pregnancy centers help women gain the resources and knowledge needed to carry their pregnancies to term.

Some critics lashed out at Heaton, with one user berating her for taking such a public stand. The individual wrote, "I'm all for post birth abortions for actors meddling in others lives that are none of their business. Give yourself one."

Here are just a few of the other critiques that were thrown her way.

But Heaton also had plenty of supporters as well who thanked her for standing up:

The current debate aside, the actress was candid in a 2014 interview with TheBlaze about why she so vocally defends the pro-life position, saying that the issue of abotion truly "bothers" her.

“It just bothers me so much. It’s almost a natural — it’s almost a reflex now,” said Heaton, a mother of four. “Once you have kids and you know what it feels like to be pregnant and you know what it feels like to have that person growing inside of you, and the beauty of it, it’s just not a holistic thing to do.”

Despite having no qualms about sharing her pro-life views, Heaton, who also speaks openly about her Christianity, said it’s important to approach the issue with compassion.

Patricia Heaton visits 'Extra' at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 17, 2013 in Universal City, California. (Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Extra)

“It’s tricky, because I think it’s one out of three women who have an abortion, so whoever you’re talking to you can’t assume — and it doesn’t matter if they’re a Christian or not,” she told TheBlaze. “It’s a very sensitive subject, so you want to be sensitive so that in whatever you’re saying you could be really, deeply affecting somebody within listening distance.”

She added, “In the Hollywood community, I’m the only one I know who says anything about it. I feel like I’m supposed to.”

Heaton apparently wasn't too dissuaded by the debate that her pro-pregnancy center tweet ignited, as she later commented on the Little Sisters of the Poor's ongoing battle with the Obama administration in a subsequent message, writing, "Glad #SCOTUS vacated previous ruling against Little Sisters. I guess it dawned on them who the nuns' boss is! ;)"

(H/T: Fox News)

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