Lena Dunham Explains Abortion Comments

Lena Dunham made some controversial comments on the podcast “Women of the Hour” about abortions that she is now clearing up. The star was explaining her experience of going to an abortion and being asked to talk about her own.

“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.”

She went on to explain how that sort of reaction just reinforces the stigmas that surround abortions in general, and that she doesn’t want to do that. She added:

“Now I can say that I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had.”

Many people didn’t respond well to that joke, so she took to her Instagram to explain herself further.

“I truly hope a distasteful joke on my part won’t diminish the amazing work of all the women who participated. 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. That’s my fault. I would never, ever intentionally trivialize the emotional and physical challenges of terminating a pregnancy.”