Lena Dunham is calling out Hollywood’s obsession with appearance, saying body shaming is still alive and kicking — and may even be worse than ever.
The 39-year-old Girls creator and Too Much star got candid in a new interview with Variety, where she admitted that the so-called body positivity era has come and gone.
“I wish I could say [the world is more accepting], but I really don’t,” Lena confessed. “I think we had this moment: body positivity was here, and then it was gone.”
She didn’t hold back when it came to Hollywood’s toxic beauty standards either. “Body shaming is pretty inevitable in Hollywood,” she said, adding, “It is merciless wherever you are.”
Lena — who’s navigated the industry at various stages of life and sizes — shared that she’s been through it all: sample size, aging, illness, and even menopause. But no matter her size, the scrutiny never stopped.
Though she supports people making personal choices about their bodies — including the use of Ozempic — she’s clear-eyed about the real pressures driving those decisions. “We can’t pretend that the bodies people want aren’t influenced… It’s not always about health, and often about aesthetics.”
The Too Much creator also opened up about why she pulled back from acting in recent years. “Having my body dissected was a reason I chose to step back from acting… and focus on writing and directing,” she told The Independent. “I faced way less scrutiny when I stopped being on-screen.”
Looking back at her earlier success, Lena admitted she didn’t enjoy it as much as she should have because of anxiety and fear. “During the Girls premieres, I was in my twenties, so I was terrified. Being able to actually enjoy it this time and be present was really nice.”
With her new Netflix series Too Much on the horizon, Lena Dunham is once again proving she’s unafraid to challenge the industry’s status quo — both on screen and off.
