Lena Dunham apologized after getting slammed on social media for her “narcissistic” attack on Odell Beckham Jr.
(Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for SXSW)
In her Lenny Letter newsletter, the 30-year-old director and actress claimed that he had ignored her at the Met Gala. (RELATED: Lena Dunham And Other Celebs Share Vulgar Video For Hillary)
“I owe Odell Beckham Jr an apology,” Dunham wrote in her apology, posted to Instagram. “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. This felt especially intense with a handsome athlete as my dinner companion and a bunch of women I was sure he’d rather be seated with.” (RELATED: Lena Dunham: Women Apologize Too Much)
“But I went ahead and projected these insecurities and made totally narcissistic assumptions about what he was thinking, then presented those assumptions as facts,” she added. “I feel terrible about it. Because after listening to lots of valid criticism, 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,” she continued. “But most importantly, 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. I’m so sorry, particularly to OBJ, who has every right to be on his cell phone.”
“The fact is I don’t know (I don’t know a lot of things) and I shouldn’t have acted like I did. Much love and thanks, Lena.”
Reaction to the Lenny Letter was swift on social media and Dunham was forced to make the apology after her first attempt to calm the waters with a series of posts on her Twitter account to excuse the attack as just her “sense of humor” failed.
“It’s not an assumption about who he is or an expectation of sexual attention,” Dunham tweeted. “It’s my sense of humor, which has kept me alive for 30 years.”
It’s not an assumption about who he is or an expectation of sexual attention. It’s my sense of humor, which has kept me alive for 30 years.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 2, 2016
“My story about him was clearly (to me) about my own insecurities as an average-bodied woman at a table of supermodels & athletes,” she added.
My story about him was clearly (to me) about my own insecurities as an average-bodied woman at a table of supermodels & athletes.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 2, 2016