Benedict Cumberbatch wore a t-shirt that showcased his support for abortion rights in a very public way.
The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star took on the hosting duties at Saturday Night Live for the second time this weekend. He first took on the job in November 2016.
To close out the night, Cumberbatch appeared onstage with musical guest Arcade Fire and various SNL cast members. There he could be seen alongside stars such as Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd, and Cecily Strong all wearing white T-shirts with 1973 written in blue and red lettering.
The number signifies the year that the Roe v. Wade decision was decided upon on Jan. 22, 1973. The T-shirts are a very clear way of showing their support of women’s rights following the recent leaked Supreme Court decision draft that threatens to overturn the landmark case.
Earlier in the episode, Cumberbatch also appeared in the night’s cold open sketch, which mocked Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s draft decision.
Last week, a leaked court document suggests the US Supreme Court could overturn the legal right to abortion.
In a 98-page draft opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the 1973 Roe v Wade decision to legalize abortion is “egregiously wrong.” If the top US court strikes down the ruling, abortion could be illegal in 22 US states. A ruling isn’t expected until late June or early July.
The draft opinion from the court, published by Politico on Monday quotes Justice Alito saying: “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences.
“And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
