Lena Dunham has apologized for making a very “distasteful joke” about abortion on her podcast.
The Girls actress was burned on social media after she made the joke on her Women of the Hour.podcast last week.
In the episode, Dunham recalled a story of how she was approached at Planned Parenthood in Texas to take part in a project where women discuss abortion.
The actress said she felt inclined to tell the person approaching her that she herself had not had an abortion.
Lena said, “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, the woman who cares as much as anybody about a woman’s right to choose, felt it was important that people know that I was unblemished in this department.”
Things turned quite offensive when she added: “Now I can say I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had.”
Her followers online were brutal in shaming her for trivializing abortion and Lena apologized shortly thereafter with a picture of the word “Choice” written on a chalk board posted to Instagram.
“I truly hope a distasteful joke on my part won’t diminish the amazing work of all the women who participated,” she wrote in the caption. “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.
“My only goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma.”
