Update: Lena Dunham would like to clear some things up. The Girls creator made an Instagram post in response to backlash to her stated wish that she had had an abortion. In a lengthy statement, she apologized for the insensitivity of her remark and tried to explain what, exactly, she had meant.
"My words were spoken from a sort of 'delusional girl' persona I often inhabit, a girl who careens between wisdom and ignorance (that's what my TV show is too) and it didn't translate," Dunahm writes. "That's my fault. I would never, ever intentionally trivialize the emotional and physical challenges of terminating a pregnancy. My only goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma."
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To complete her apology, she made a sizable donation to abortion funds in New York, Texas, and Ohio. If you'd like to join her, you can just donate here, no need to make a off-putting remark.
This story was originally published at 3:10 p.m.
Lena Dunham has always been candid about the details of her personal life through books, television shows, personal essays, and any other medium she can access. The latest episode of her podcast, "Women Of The Hour," is no different. In "Choice," Dunham talks about her lifelong support of women's reproductive rights, visiting Planned Parenthood clinics, and how stigmas around abortion even affect her. She also, in typical Lena fashion, made a shocking statement that has the Internet in a tizzy. She starts the episode by saying, "My name is Lena Dunham, and I have a confession to make," but her real confession won't come until about 14 minutes into the episode. "One day, when I was visiting a Planned Parenthood in Texas a few years ago, a young girl walked up to me and asked me if I’d like to be a part of her project in which women share their stories of abortions," she says. "I sort of jumped. 'I haven’t had an abortion,' I told her. I wanted to make it really clear to her that as much as I was going out and fighting for other women’s options, I myself had never had an abortion. And I realized then that even I was carrying within myself stigma around this issue. Even I, the woman who cares as much as anybody about a woman’s right to choose, felt it was important that people know I was unblemished in this department." She concludes the segment by stating: "Now I can say that I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had." The podcast continues on, featuring the stories of other women who have had abortions, and how their personal lives were impacted by that choice. Dunham's quote has now been picked up by various sites, and the Internet has shared a myriad of reactions to the statement. Regardless of what your stance on abortion is, this is a good reminder to be sensitive when speaking on the topic. You can listen to the episode below.
Lena Dunham has always been candid about the details of her personal life through books, television shows, personal essays, and any other medium she can access. The latest episode of her podcast, "Women Of The Hour," is no different. In "Choice," Dunham talks about her lifelong support of women's reproductive rights, visiting Planned Parenthood clinics, and how stigmas around abortion even affect her. She also, in typical Lena fashion, made a shocking statement that has the Internet in a tizzy. She starts the episode by saying, "My name is Lena Dunham, and I have a confession to make," but her real confession won't come until about 14 minutes into the episode. "One day, when I was visiting a Planned Parenthood in Texas a few years ago, a young girl walked up to me and asked me if I’d like to be a part of her project in which women share their stories of abortions," she says. "I sort of jumped. 'I haven’t had an abortion,' I told her. I wanted to make it really clear to her that as much as I was going out and fighting for other women’s options, I myself had never had an abortion. And I realized then that even I was carrying within myself stigma around this issue. Even I, the woman who cares as much as anybody about a woman’s right to choose, felt it was important that people know I was unblemished in this department." She concludes the segment by stating: "Now I can say that I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had." The podcast continues on, featuring the stories of other women who have had abortions, and how their personal lives were impacted by that choice. Dunham's quote has now been picked up by various sites, and the Internet has shared a myriad of reactions to the statement. Regardless of what your stance on abortion is, this is a good reminder to be sensitive when speaking on the topic. You can listen to the episode below.
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