Cortney Wolfson is speaking out on behalf of all mothers on Broadway.
The actor, who starred in a Broadway-bound production of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, says that in 2018 she was fired from the musical because she was pregnant.
In a lengthy Twitter post, Cortney opened up about her experience and how she was let go — despite previously being told that her pregnancy aligned with the musical's schedule.
"When I first became pregnant, I wanted to be transparent when it came to my career. No hiding, no concealing, no shame. 'It's my right to choose to bring a child into this world and also have my job protected,' I thought," Cortney wrote.
She continued, "That right was taken from me in 2018 when I was fired from my job, Romy & Michele: The Musical, for being pregnant."
Cortney says that when she and her husband made plans to expand their family, she reached out to her director for guidance on the show's timeline — especially because the production was set to head to Broadway soon.
Director Kristin Hanggi reportedly gave Cortney her blessing, writing in an email that it was OK if she was pregnant during a developmental reading that was scheduled for months later.
Unfortunately, when Cortney did get pregnant (after suffering an early miscarriage), the attitude of the people behind the scenes changed. While her producer initially offered congratulations, she was soon met with a phone call from her director with a very different opinion.
"The next interaction I had with Romy & Michele was a phone call from my director alerting me that I would be replaced due to my pregnancy. I was confused. Hadn't I just been told this was a perfect time to be pregnant?" Cortney wrote.
Instead, her agents were told that they could not "showcase the show to maximum effect with [Cortney] in that condition."
"My worst fear had just come true: my pregnancy was a 'condition.' The career-changing role I'd created was being taken from me, and my choice to pursue a family was the cause. I felt shame for questioning my pregnancy, embarrassment for not being good enough, and anger at my complete lack of choices," she added.
Cortney admits she found herself in a "tailspin, trying to remain calm for the sake of my unborn child, all the while feeling like my career might be ending."
While the New York City reading never ended up happening, Cortney says she was turned down by the production even after welcoming her son, being told that they were "looking for celebrities to replace" her.
Cortney says she has since questioned whether or not her pregnancy was the true cause for her dismissal but tells People that her decision to start a family should never have been part of the conversation.
"I think that the narrative completely needs to change around pregnant women about what we can and can't do, and the only person who knows what they can or can't do is that pregnant person," she told the outlet, noting that she had been auditioning for major roles while pregnant.
"I'd like to talk about mothers in this business. I'd like us to better know how to protect ourselves when our careers, our mental health, and our rights are in danger. I'd like us to not feel alone when this happens to us and my hope is that together, we can all make it a little tougher to fire a mother for being a mother," Cortney concluded.
Read all that Cortney had to say below.
I’d like to talk about mothers in this business.