Lena Dunham Shows The Hateful Comments She Gets On Social Media

Trolls clawing through social media and saying hurtful and mean things to celebrities is nothing new, but that doesn’t mean stars are going to stop standing up for themselves as much as they can.

That’s exactly what Lena Dunham, creator and star of the recently-ended “Girls,” did when she took to Instagram on Tuesday to show the world the types of comments she gets all the time. Dunham isn’t one to normally stand down, but with the specific nature of this comment, which read, “You made up a rape story,” she really felt the desire, and need, to speak out.

“This is what my social media mentions are like every day,” Dunham started the caption of the photo.

“I’ve gotten used to it, I keep moving and I consider these people sad leftovers from a bygone era when female sexuality was caged and these pathetic basement dwellers were the gatekeepers. But this week, as so many brave women/people come forward with stories of assault, I want you all to remember what they are facing: yes, some gorgeous applause and sisterhood. I wish I could focus only on that. But also a lot of surprising and cruel reactions by people who don't deserve the publicity.”

Since the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo campaign, many have been speaking up about their own assault stories and standing together. Dunham opened up about her story in her 2014 memoir, “Not That Kind of Girl,” where she detailed in two separate chapters about the night she was raped as a 19-year-old college student.

“When I disclosed my rape 3 years ago I was ignorant- I assumed (despite having been in the eye of the storm before) that you share a painful story and people say, ‘Hey, we may not agree on everything but [expletive] I hate that this happened to you,’” she continued. “That isn’t often the experience of coming forward with assault, which is why I am endlessly and eternally proud of the women who have spoken up, those I know and those I don’t. All love. This is just the beginning.”

Though those who follow her are used to hearing her thoughts on topical issues, she posted a photo of her and her boyfriend, Jack Antonoff, to Instagram right afterwards just to prove that she doesn’t “only Insta about violence.”

“Just to prove I don't only insta about violence... Here is the picture that my @americaferrera insisted on taking so we’d have evidence that this is how we dressed for a nice dinner,” Dunham captioned the picture. “Our 5.5 year anniversary was yesterday.”