Dakota Johnson Reacts to Roe v. Wade Being Overturned (Exclusive)

Dakota Johnson is taking on the Jane Austen classic “Persuasion” in a new Netflix adaptation.

“Extra’s” Jenn Lahmers spoke with Dakota about starring as a young woman who must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart. She also voiced her concerns about the Supreme Court’s controversial decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Johnson explained why she wanted to use her voice and platform to speak out about the Supreme Court’s “horrible mistake.” She said, “It’s hard to not take it personally… All women must take this personally, because that’s the only way that people will be galvanized to make this stop, to change it.”

“It’s so important that every woman educates herself inside her community and then let that ricochet… to family members, job… whatever it is, to really know in your state, what your rights are, to know who’s in charge, to know where your clinics are,” Dakota stressed. “Now that reproductive rights have become a state-to-state issue, the only thing to do is to incentivize people to get out and vote in primary elections, general elections… The criminalization of abortion is just so shortsighted and ignorant and frustrating, but I guess the only thing to do is to talk about it.”

Johnson has also been hard at work bringing attention to women’s sexual wellness with her company Maude. She explained, “So many women are put now in incredible danger.”

As for her new movie, Dakota revealed that she was drawn to the project because she “always wanted to do a period film,” adding, “I wanted to wear a corset and run around the English countryside.”

While she admitted it was “rough” wearing a corset at times, she noted that it made her feel like a “different person.”

For the movie, Johnson had to put on a British accent, which she was able to nail thanks to “two coaches.” She said, “It was a lot of work every day.”

Jane Austen is known for her “swooping love stories.”

Dakota reflected on her own first experience with love at age 16, saying, “My first love, I was very much like, ‘Okay, this is it, forever.’”

Along with calling it the experience “intense,” she noted, “Then, you know, you’re 30 and you’re, like, ‘What?’”

Johnson also raved about the cast of the movie, especially Richard Grant, who plays her father. She said, “It was amazing, especially working with him. I loved his work for so long and I felt very lucky. Everyone was so talented, so wonderful to be around.”