Lena Dunham Apologizes To Odell Beckham Jr. For ‘Over-Sexualizing’ Him
Lena Dunham, a champion of white feminism and the creator of the hit HBO show Girls, is taking back her recent controversial comments about New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Dunham, in a web chat published in her Lenny Letter newsletter yesterday, called out Odell Beckham Jr. for ignoring her at the Met Gala, claiming that the football player only ignored her because she was “not the shape of a woman by his standards.”
“It was like we were forced to be together, and he [OBJ] literally was scrolling Instagram rather than have to look at a woman in a bow tie.”
Girls star Dunham assumed that the only reason Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t talk to her at the Met Gala was that he didn’t like her outfit (a tuxedo, complete with a bowtie) or the shape of her body.
“yep, it’s wearing a tuxedo.”
Shocker that OBJ, or mankind, wouldn’t find Lena Dunham hot in that outfit! pic.twitter.com/1gcsIXfsuK
— Flynn Rider (@Diibs9) September 3, 2016
The internet, however, was quick to clap back, pointing out that Lena Dunham’s accusations against Beckham are completely unfounded.
“Odell ignored me because I wore a tuxedo” Lena Dunham pic.twitter.com/m6jrx0Q72y
— Clint (@ClintTheBoxer) September 3, 2016
Lena Dunham just really tried to slam Odell Beckham jr. Over a conversation she had with herself in her head????????????????????????????
— Anthony Morrow (@MrAnthonyMorrow) September 2, 2016
Lena Dunham herself had admitted in the anecdote that she had barely spoken to OBJ and couldn’t possibly have known his thoughts.
In her Instagram post apology on Saturday, Dunham acknowledged that it was wrong of her to attach baseless (and unflattering) thoughts to Odell Beckham Jr.
“I went ahead […] and made totally narcissistic assumptions about what he [Beckham] was thinking, then presented those assumptions as facts. I feel terrible about it. I see how unfair it is to ascribe misogynistic thoughts to someone I don’t know AT ALL. Like, we have never met, I have no idea the kind of day he’s having or what his truth is.”
Lena Dunham apologized for her narcissistic assumptions about Odell Beckham Jr. and also apologized for taking part in over-sexualizing black male athletes.
Also in yesterday’s newsletter, the actor talked about grinding against Micheal B. Jordan at the Met Gala, objectifying him, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
Dunham also tweeted about the incident following the publication of her newsletter, saying that as a “red-blooded straight woman,” she would grind up to Micheal B. Jordan every chance she got.
ps I’ll try and dance myself onto @michaelb4jordan if I have the chance, even when I’m a married grandma. I’m a red blooded str8 woman!
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 2, 2016
Lena Dunham has also included an apology for these comments that have been seen as objectification and sexualization of the black male body in response to the internet backlash.
In her Instagram post, Dunham stated that her over-sexualizing comments were unintentional and that she was sorry to have said them.
“I would never intentionally contribute to a long and often violent history of the over-sexualization of black male bodies – as well as false accusations by white women towards black men.”
The actor also used the apology to explain that her misleading comments illustrated her personal insecurities more than reflecting badly on those she spoke of.
She said in her Instagram apology, “Despite my moments of bravado, I struggle at industry events (and in life) with the sense that I don’t rep a certain standard of beauty and so when I show up to the Met Ball surrounded by models and swan-like actresses it’s hard not to feel like a sack of flaming garbage.”
Read Lena Dunham’s full apology below.
[Photo by Dimitrious Kambouris/Getty Images]
