Lena Dunham’s Greatest Controversies
Girls star Lena Dunham is one of the most controversial figures in the entertainment industry right now. She has a habit of making people very angry. As others have noted, sometimes people overreact to Dunham’s controversies. Let’s take a look at some of Lena’s greatest hits.
Comments About Her Sister
In 2014, Dunham put out a collection of essays titled Not That Kind of Girl. In the book, she described looking at her sister’s vagina.
“One day, as I sat in our driveway in Long Island playing with blocks and buckets, my curiosity got the best of me. Grace [her one-year-old sister] was sitting up, babbling and smiling, and I leaned down between her legs and carefully spread open her vagina. She didn’t resist and when I saw what was inside I shrieked,” Truth Revolt quotes Dunham as revealing.
The right wing press went crazy, describing Dunham as a child molester. Soon, Dunham got lawyers involved and it made the controversy spiral out of control even more.
USA Today had a more balanced approach to Dunham’s statements. They noted that in the world of sexual behavior, some people believe that what Lena did as a 7-year-old was normal, but not exactly okay. Dunham’s sister Grace, the alleged victim, fiercely defended her sister from the molestation accusations. Dunham eventually released a statement that said she doesn’t condone any type of behavior that can be interpreted as sexual abuse.
Comments About Odell Beckham, Jr.
A couple months back, Dunham went to her Lenny Letter blog to diss wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. for allegedly giving her the cold shoulder at a recent Met Gala.
“I was sitting next to Odell Beckham Jr., and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards. He was like, ‘That’s a marshmallow. That’s a child. That’s a dog.’ It wasn’t mean — he just seemed confused,” Dunham said, which led to a huge backlash.
As The Wrap reported, Twitter went into Dunham bashing mode.
“While the actress is known for being an outspoken feminist, the Twitterverse quickly turned on her, with many users coming to Beckham’s defense and wondering how the Girls star could paint such an elaborate conversation when he had literally not opened his mouth.”
Totally jealous of Odell Beckham Jr. I wish I didn't know who Lena Dunham was either
— Jake Cohen (@naughtydingodog) September 8, 2016
Wow.. This whole Lena Dunham/Odell Beckham saga is a microcosm for so many things. White privilege at its finest
— Dwayne Evans (@DwayneEvans21) September 4, 2016
According to People, Dunham eventually apologized to Beckham, Jr. and said that she projected her insecurities by making narcissistic assumptions about what he was thinking.
Abortion
Lena’s recent comments about abortion probably produced the biggest controversy of her career (so far). As the Daily Beast reported, Dunham says that she wished she had an abortion.
“On her podcast ‘Women of the Hour’ last week, Lena Dunham informed her audience that while she’s never had an abortion personally, she wishes she had so she could do her part to reduce stigma around the issue,” wrote columnist Erin Gloria Ryan, adding that Dunham felt guilty when asked to share her “abortion story.”
Ryan, like others, believes that treating abortion like some type of leisurely activity so Dunham can help “normalize it” produces a cartoonish version of liberalism that conservatives prey on. Lena Dunham eventually apologized for her comments, but this likely won’t be the last time the outspoken Dunham feels forced to make an apology.
[Featured Image by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]
