Penny Marshall Reflects on Past Abortion

On Monday, Penny Marshall set the record straight in regards to rumors of her ill health and talk of an alleged feud with her Laverne & Shirley co-star Cindy Williams. In part two of ET's revealing interview with the legendary comedienne and director, Marshall discloses details of an (up until recently) undisclosed abortion the star underwent in her twenties.

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"It was my life that I was dealing with and so I have a right to an opinion," she said of her decision to terminate the surprise pregnancy. "I already had a kid -- it wasn't like it was my first kid."

Penny was only 19 when she had her first child, Tracy, with college sweetheart Michael Henry. The brief marriage had ended long before Marshall had discovered she was pregnant.

In her memoir out today (My Mother is Nuts), the now 69-year-old, freely admits she was stunned to learn of the pregnancy because she wasn't dating anyone regularly during the period the child was conceived.

Related: Penny Marshall Candid on Cancer Scare & 'L&S' Feud

Marshall, who is admittedly pro-choice, tells ET the decision to undergo an abortion was one she felt was the appropriate one to make given her circumstances at the time.

"I didn't wish I hadn't [had the abortion]," said Marshall. "[Up until then] I was one of the few people who said, 'No I'd never did that' -- every friend I had had done that. But they should have the right."

Watch the interview for more.