Chrissy Teigen “didn’t know” she had an abortion with her late son Jack

Chrissy Teigen talks about her experience with a late-term abortion.

Teigen, 38, shared her story while speaking at a rally in support of Arizona's abortion rights initiative, Proposition 139, in Phoenix on Sunday, October 27.

During her speech, she shared that she “didn't know” she had an abortion in 2020 when she lost her son Jack after pregnancy complications.

In a video of her speech shared by CNN, Teigen recalled that her pregnancy with Jack “deteriorated,” resulting in a life-saving abortion that she initially thought was a miscarriage.

“One thing that was hard for me was that I never felt any pain during it, so I never thought about anything other than a miscarriage,” she said. “When we hear the word abortion, we think that there is some kind of pain associated with it… Back when I was getting blood transfusions in the hospital, I never thought that I was in danger of losing that baby because I wasn't in pain.”

Teigen continued: “The word abortion is so stigmatized. Nobody wants to say abortion… I didn't even know I had one. And it was so embarrassing to admit it in front of the whole world.

The cookbook author then recounted the moment she realized she had an abortion while talking to her husband, John Legend, when Roe v. Wade was overthrown in 2022.

“I remember it happening and I looked at John and said, 'This is so terrible, what these people have to go through and this decision they have to make.' This is so terrible for her.' And then he said, 'For you, for us,'” recalls Teigen.

“I said, 'What do you mean?' He says, “You had an abortion.” … And I thought, ‘No way. Really? Absolutely not.' “I was overwhelmed that day,” she continued. “That same day I realized that if I didn't know the appropriate language and what was happening to my body, could other people empathize with our situation and our scenario?”

Teigen – who shares Luna, 8, Miles, 6, Esti, 20 months, and Wren, 15 months, with Legend, 45 – concluded that she hopes to amplify the voices of those who have had similar experiences and to help spread the message that “abortion is health care.”

Never miss a story again — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Teigen's appearance at the rally comes after her husband Legend shared more heartbreaking details about the loss of their son Jack on the Wednesday, October 23 episode Club Shay Shay Podcast.

“My wife was well over 15 weeks along when she had to have an abortion,” Legend told host Shannon Sharpe. “She miscarried and bled to death and all these things happened… Her life was in danger.”

Teigen experienced partial placental abruption at 20 weeks, meaning the placenta detached from the uterine wall too early. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition can be life-threatening to both the fetus and the mother.