Actress Lena Dunham is being accused of sexual misconduct after photos surfaced of her kissing Brad Pitt during the London premiere of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a film she briefly appears in.
Complex’s headline from Tara Mahadevan reads, “Lena Dunham Kisses Brad Pitt on Red Carpet, Sparking Misconduct Discussion.” Yahoo News’ headline reads, “Lena Dunham accused of being ‘inappropriate’ after Brad Pitt kiss.” Insider’s headline read, “Lena Dunham seems to kiss Brad Pitt, starting sexual misconduct discussion.”
Folks on Twitter were not afraid to accuse Dunham of sexual misconduct. Some even accused her of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
I’m all seriousness, her hypersexuality is really concerning and she’s got a habit of literally sexually harassing people. https://t.co/fXr1vfZB3C
— Nino Cohen (@tchotchkele) August 2, 2019
It’s funny when A woman does this they call it inappropriate but when a man does this sexual harassment.
— Custodian (@Custodi75753191) August 2, 2019
Sexual harassment.
— Mazi Kelvinbagwell® (@kelvinbagwell02) August 2, 2019
Sexual assault
— biafranow67 (@biafranow67) August 2, 2019
This is assault.
— Jeff Adams (@JeffAdams82) August 2, 2019
Alternate headline: Lena Dunham sexually assaults Brad Pitt. pic.twitter.com/zEX6c7PcB6
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 1, 2019
Quite a few people questioned the media and Dunham’s own double standards.
Just read an article about Lena Dunham “having balls” because she planted an unsolicited kiss on Brad Pitt. I’m gonna say if she DID have balls, the headline would read quite different. Assuming the words #metoo would be used. #DoubleStandards
— Jennifer Churchich 🦋 (@RealJenChurch) July 31, 2019
Lena Dunham was trying kiss Brad Pitt on the mouth here, even though he wasn’t into it. I wonder how the media would have covered this had the genders been reversed. pic.twitter.com/4HMnX2x57a
— Price of Reason (@priceoreason) August 1, 2019
Dunham has been at the center of a number of #MeToo controversies over the past few years. She confessed she appeared at a Hillary Clinton benefit organized by Harvey Weinstein’s Weinstein Company in 2016 despite knowing about his alleged behavior. Dunham wrote in the New York Times:
“In the fall of 2016, I performed at a benefit for Hillary Clinton organized by the Weinstein Company. I had heard the rumors. I felt that going onstage under his aegis was a betrayal of my own values. But I wanted so desperately to support my candidate that I made a calculation. We’ve all made calculations, and saying we’re sorry about those calculations is not an act of cowardice. It’s an essential change of position that could shift the way we do business and the way women regard their own position in the workplace. I’m sorry I shook the hand of someone I knew was not a friend to women in my industry.”
Dunham has also found herself in the crosshairs of the #MeToo movement. Dunham defended HBO’s Girls writer and producer Murray Miller after he was accused by Aurora Perrineau of rape. In a joint statement with fellow Girls showrunner Jenni Konner, Dunham wrote:
“While our first instinct is to listen to every woman’s story, our insider knowledge of Murray’s situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year.”
Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner defend ‘Girls’ writer amid sexual assault claim: “We stand by Murray” https://t.co/46J9Aa7SOA pic.twitter.com/cLNMpPzIwV
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 18, 2017
Dunham would eventually apologize for defending Miller and excused defending him because she had “internalized the dominant male agenda.” She would add, “My job now is to excavate that part of myself and to create a new cavern inside me where a candle stays lit, always safely lit, and illuminates the wall behind it where these words are written: I see you, Aurora. I hear you, Aurora. I believe you, Aurora.”
What do you make of Dunham’s actions?