The latest edition of Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter online newsletter alleges that the Girls star was recently sexually harassed by a TV boss.
Dunham collaborator Jenni Konner details a recent encounter in the newsletter, writing that a "producer/director" of a different TV show "cornered" Dunham in a restaurant "because he wanted Lena to persuade [one of his show's actresses] to 'show her tits, or at least some vag' on TV". The unnamed man allegedly told Dunham: "You would show anything. Even your asshole." He is also accused of showing Dunham an indecent photograph.
"This is fairly common behaviour with strangers and Lena," Konner claims. "In my most generous moments, I can see their nervousness, their familiarity with her frank sexual work, and their desire to make a connection."
On why she decided to speak out about the incident, Konner added: "It’s not enough to be mad. It’s not enough to know it’s wrong. When we share, we unlock other women’s stories, and suddenly secrets don’t seem so necessary. The only thing standing between men and outdated, hideous behaviour is their ability to get away with it."
Meanwhile, Dunham recently issued an apology following controversy surrounding an anecdote she told about NFL player Odell Beckham Jr.
During an interview with Amy Schumer in Dunham's newsletter, the Girls actress recalled sitting next to the American football star at this summer's Met Ball in New York City.
"I was sat next to Odell Beckham Jr. and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards," Dunham said. "He was like 'That's a marshmallow. That's a child. That's a dog'. It wasn't mean – he just seemed confused."
Dunham continued: "The vibe was very much like, 'Do I want to fuck it? Is it wearing a… yep it's wearing a tuxedo. I'm going back to my cell phone.' It was like we were forced to be together, and he literally was scrolling Instagram rather than have to look at a woman in a bow tie. I was like, 'This should be called the Metropolitan Museum of Getting Rejected by Athletes'."
After previously defending her remarks, Dunham has now apologised for her "totally narcissistic assumptions" and accusing Beckham Jr of "misogynistic thoughts".
"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," she added.