Shonda Rhimes joins national Planned Parenthood board

LOS ANGELES – “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes is joining the national board of Planned Parenthood.

Rhimes made the announcement in an interview with Elle magazine alongside Planned Parenthood’s president, Cecile Richards.

Rhimes says she decided to join the board because “women’s health is under fire right now” and she feels “it’s important to help fight back.”

Rhimes also discussed a 2015 episode of “Scandal,” which showed main character Olivia Pope having an abortion. Rhimes says she was portraying a legal medical procedure and “wasn’t going to pull any punches.”

Richards says the organization is hoping to harness some of Rhimes’ “enormous creative energy and storytelling ability.”

Rhimes previously served on the board of the organization’s Los Angeles chapter.