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Actress Lena Dunham took to Instagram late Tuesday to apologize for saying she wishes that she had undergone an abortion procedure in order to combat the “stigma” around the issue.
“My latest podcast episode was meant to tell a multifaceted story about reproductive choice in America, to explain the many reasons women do or don't choose to have children and what bodily autonomy really means,” Dunham wrote. “I'm so proud of the medley of voices in the episode. I truly hope a distasteful joke on my part won't diminish the amazing work of all the women who participated.”
Dunham claimed that her comments 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,” she wrote. “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. I take reproductive choice in America more seriously than I take literally anything else, and therefore own full responsibility for any words I speak that don't convey this truth clearly.”
Dunham continued:
I know plenty of people will never like a thing that leaves my lips, mea culpas or no, but this apology is for the women who have placed their trust in me. You mean everything to me. My life is and always will be devoted to reproductive justice and freedom.
Dunham said she intends to make “a sizable donation to abortion funds” to atone for her mistake in “pro-choice messaging.”
“I look forward to fighting with you all for the next four years and beyond,” she added.
TheBlaze previously reported that on the most recent episode of her podcast “Women of the Hour,” Dunham said that she wishes she had undergone an abortion in order to combat “stigma around this issue.”
Dunham said that during a visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic, she was asked to participate in a project in which women share their experiences with abortion. Dunham replied that she’d never had one, and later felt that her answer contributed to the alleged stigma.
“Now I can say that I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had,” she said.
Dunham’s remarks were first highlighted by Newsbusters.
A Twitter controversy erupted after Dunham’s remarks gained attention.
You're Extremely Not Helping dot Tumblr dot Com https://t.co/WJmM8Jc2C2— Erin milk poisoning Ryan (@Erin milk poisoning Ryan) 1482259530.0
Lena Dunham visiting fans in burn wards: "I wish someone had set *me* on fire." https://t.co/7W3mAEYr0f— Jennifer Wright (@Jennifer Wright) 1482264456.0
Finally something both liberals and conservatives can agree on. We're all sick of Lena Dunham.— Nick Jack Pappas (@Nick Jack Pappas) 1482263456.0
