Lena Dunham, creator of the hit series Girls, has apologised after critics accused her of sexually abusing her younger sister, based on passages from her memoir Not That Kind of Girl. The 28-year-old initially responded defiantly on Twitter but later issued a conciliatory statement.
The controversy centres on two passages. In one, Dunham describes at age seven opening her one-year-old sister Grace's vagina out of curiosity and finding pebbles. In another, she writes of trying to persuade her sister to kiss her on the lips for five seconds by offering sweets or coins, stating: 'Basically, anything a sexual predator might do to woo a small suburban girl, I was trying.'
Right-wing websites such as Truth Revolt and National Review accused Dunham of describing child abuse. Dunham initially tweeted a 'rage spiral', calling the story 'fucking upsetting and disgusting', but later released a statement saying she was 'dismayed over the recent interpretation' and did not condone any abuse. She apologised if the passages were 'painful or triggering'.
Dunham's lawyers have demanded an apology from Truth Revolt, but editor Ben Shapiro refused, citing the First Amendment. Grace Dunham has defended her sister, tweeting that people should be allowed to narrate their own experiences.
