Eva Longoria warns abortion bans are danger to women

CANNES, France: Actress Eva Longoria said restrictive abortion laws passed in Alabama and Missouri are a threat to women, with stars set to protest against the bans on the Cannes red carpet on Saturday.

"What´s happening in Alabama is so important in the world," the "Desperate Housewives" star said, referring to the US state which has banned terminations even in the case of rape or incest.

"It´s going to affect everybody if we don´t pay attention," she said.

Longoria warned of a "domino effect" with a dozen other Republican-controlled US states seeking to restrict the rights of women to abortion.

The Latina actress produced the Netflix documentary "Reversing Roe" last year which showed how pro-life groups are mounting a major push to overturn the landmark US Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion in 1973.

Her comments come as a group of female stars led by Charlotte Gainsbourg, Spanish actress Rossi de Palma and French director Claire Denis are set to stage a protest for abortion rights on the Cannes red carpet.

The gathering was originally meant to support the Argentinian documentary, "Let It Be Law", which is premiering on Saturday in the festival´s official selection. It tells the story of the struggle for women´s rights in the huge, largely Catholic Latin American country, which has become bitterly divided over abortion.

Months of protests to decriminalise abortion in Pope Francis´ homeland culminated in a make-or-break Senate vote in February.