The American writer and actress Lena Dunham has apologised for what she has described as a “tasteless joke” about abortion she made on her popular podcast, Women of the Hour.
In a recent episode of the show, Dunham discussed the legal right of women in the US to access abortion services, something which has been a vocal supporter of. Speaking about being asked by another woman to take part in a project involving women giving accounts of their own experiences with abortions, Dunham ended the anecdote by quipping, “I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had.”
The comment provoked a backlash on social media, with Twitter users accusing the Girls star of demeaning the difficult decisions women make when faced with an unwanted or unviable pregnancy.
To be such a talented woman of words and writing, Lena Dunham still manages to say all the wrong things
— tea with tami â˜•ï¸ (@TeaWithTami) December 20, 2016
.@lenadunham FYI an abortion is not something you "get to have." It's an awful experience one SHOULDN'T wish for like a gift from Santa 😑🙄
— s a s h a (@kisslow) December 20, 2016
I can't even imagine how offensive Lena Dunham's comments are to women who actually had to go through abortions
— KFC (@KFCBarstool) December 20, 2016
Responding to her critics onInstagram, Dunham said: “I would never, ever intentionally trivialise the emotional and physical challenges of terminating a pregnancy.
“My goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma.
“I know plenty of people will never like a thing that leaves my lips... but this apology is for women who have placed their trust in me.
“You mean everything to me.”
Dunham also revealed that has since made a financial donation to charity following the comments on her Women of the Hour podcast.
“You know how in some households you curse and have to put money in a jar? Well in mine, if you mess up your pro-choice messaging toy have to give a sizeable donation to abortions funds.”
