Former Argentina first lady reveals she was 'forced' to get an abortion by ex-president

The former first lady of Argentina said she was pressured by the future president to get an abortion years prior to his election because "he wasn't ready" to be a father.

Fabiola Yáñez made the shocking revelation Tuesday from the Argentine consulate in Madrid, where she now resides, during a Zoom hearing with a federal prosecutor in Buenos Aires as part of an investigation into claims she was physically abused by former President Alberto Fernández.

The 43-year-old actress and journalist started dating Fernández in 2014 and said that she first became pregnant before their May 2016 engagement in Paris.

'While living together and in accordance with the plans of engagement, trusting in his words regarding wanting to have another child with me, and start a family, it turned out that shortly after living together I became pregnant,' Yáñez said. 'The joy and surprise was immense on my part until I told him.'

Fernández, now 65, showed his 'contempt and rejection' toward Yáñez, she testified

'This time regarding our unborn child, he told me, "This can't happen, I'm in shock." '

Former Argentina first lady Fabiola Yáñez, who last week accused former President Alberto Fernández of domestic violence, told Buenos Aires prosecutors on Tuesday that he pressured her to have an abortion before they got engaged in 2016

Argentina former President Alberto Fernández has publicly denied allegations made by his former first lady Fabiola Yáñez of physically abusing her

Former first lady Fabiola Yáñez and former President Alberto Fernández (pictured here in December 2021) dated from 2015 to 2024

Yáñez added that Fernández 'started harassing me saying that it was too soon, that he wasn't ready yet, that he hadn't introduced me to his son,' whom he had with his ex-wife.

The former first lady said that Fernández then 'began the second part of his plan of contempt, to push me into carrying out the worst decision. He began to ignore me completely.'

Although they lived in the same house, she said that Fernández would not talk to her and made her feel like 'a piece of furniture in my own home, carrying his child in my womb.'

'He told me, "I can't tell anyone that I'm going to have a child with you in such a short time," and I told him, "But then why didn't you tell me? We would have been careful," ' Yáñez said. 'He told me, "We have to resolve it, you have to abort." '

Fernández eventually informed his son, who at the time was in his early 20s, of the pregnancy and then blamed Yáñez for going through with the abortion, she said.

The former first lady didn't provide a date for when the abortion took place.

Fernández was elected president after beating out incumbent Mauricio Macri in August 2019.

The couple revealed in September 2021 that they were expecting their first child and welcomed a boy on August 6, 2022. 

 Yáñez formally accused Fernández of domestic violence last week before online news portal Infobae leaked photos that showed her covered in bruises.

Photos leaked last week by online news portal Infobae revealed the abuse that Yáñez allegedly suffered under former President Alberto Fernández in 2021. The pictures were released after Yáñez accused Fernández of domestic violence

Yáñez with Fernández and their son, Francisco

Fernández with Yáñez in December 2021, when she was pregnant with their, who was born in August 2022

 In a screenshot of an August 13, 2001 WhatsApp conversation obtained by the news outlet, Fernández told Yáñez, 'I feel bad physically.'

Yáñez then replied, 'This doesn't work like this. You hit me all the time. It's unbelievable. I can't let you do this to me when I didn't do anything to you. And all I'm trying to do with my mind focused is defend you and you physically beat me. There's no explanation.'

She then followed by sending him a picture of her bruised arm and another that of her bruised right eye.

In a July 2021 WhatsApp conversation, Yáñez told Fernández, 'You hit me again. You're crazy.'

The former president replied,' I feel bad,' before Yáñez said, 'You have been hitting me three straight days.'

The couple arriving in Washington in May 2023

Yáñez and her son are now living in Madrid

Fernández seemed to have regretted his actions when he responded, 'I'm having trouble breathing. Please stop. I feel really bad.'

Yáñez then fired back, 'And when you shook my arms you left me with bruises. This is when you shook me up.'

She has claimed that the worst part of the aggression took place in 2023, Fernández's last year in office, when she lived in a guest house at the presidential palace.

Fernández has publicly denied Yáñez's accusations and vowed to provide proof that will clear him in court.

He remains holed up inside his home in Buenos Aires and is barred from leaving the country. He is also not allowed to be within 1,640 feet of Yáñez.