Lena Dunham is filled with regret as she looks back on her past political choice to actively campaign for Hillary Clinton.
In the author’s new memoir, she detailed throwing her weight behind Clinton, noting that all she got from it was a “lousy” t-shirt.
Notably, the memoir also touched on other aspects of the author’s life, including her painful split from Jack Antonoff and her complicated relationship with Adam Driver.
Lena Dunham Reflects On Her 2016 Campaign Choices
In her recent memoir, “Famesick,” 39-year-old actress and writer Dunham admitted she now regrets her intensive campaigning for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election. Looking back, the “Girls” star wishes she had thrown her support behind progressive Senator Bernie Sanders instead of the neoliberal Clinton.
The Daily Mail reported that Dunham recalled hitting the campaign trail immediately after her hit show wrapped, traveling to more states than ever before to advocate for the former First Lady.
Despite her tireless efforts, which included wearing Clinton-themed outfits and releasing a pro-Clinton rap song, she now jokes that all she truly gained from the experience was a T-shirt.
“I had campaigned for Hillary Clinton, and literally all I got was this lousy T-shirt,” she wrote.
This new admission is a sharp turn from 2016, when Dunham praised Clinton as being more capable than anyone else. At that time, she even criticized Sanders, suggesting he lacked a serious commitment to women’s issues.
Dunham Also Openly Recounted Her Relationship Struggles With Jack Antonoff
While her political evolution has captured headlines, Dunham’s new memoir also delves into her romantic life. In “Famesick,” the author offered a raw look at her nearly six-year relationship with musician Antonoff, detailing how their romance eventually unraveled.
She described Antonoff as a steadying force who entered her life at a critical moment after being introduced by his sister, Rachel. Dunham admitted that as the relationship deepened, she began to rely on his love for her own sense of self-worth and emotional safety.
The breakdown of their bond was marked by a series of painful personal challenges, including the emotional aftermath of Dunham’s hysterectomy.
She confessed that as the romance fractured, she sought comfort elsewhere and admitted to having an affair shortly before their official split, as reported by The Blast.
Inside Lena Dunham’s Volatile Moments With Adam Driver
The raw emotional honesty of Dunham’s memoir extends beyond her romantic life, touching on the complex dynamics she experienced behind the scenes of her professional career.
In a revealing chapter of “Famesick,” Dunham opened up about her time working with her “Girls” co-star Driver, who played her on-screen love interest for six seasons.
Dunham claimed the actor was “spectacularly rude” and once hurled a chair at a wall right next to her during a rehearsal.
According to The Blast, she also alleged that Driver punched a hole in the wall of his own trailer and frequently screamed in her face during filming.
Lena Dunham’s And Adam Driver’s Relationship Almost Crossed A Professional Line
While the workplace dynamics were often explosive, the connection between the co-stars occasionally shifted into a more intimate territory. In “Famesick,” Dunham described a period during the first season of “Girls” when she and Driver felt like true partners.
This intense creative bond eventually led to a moment where Dunham felt they were on the verge of crossing a professional and personal boundary.
However, she explained that some “wise part” of her knew that crossing that line would lead to professional humiliation and permanently damage her authority on set, per The Blast.
Just one month later, Driver announced his engagement to Tucker, leaving Dunham feeling heartbroken and like a mere “distraction” in his life.
How Lena Dunham Reclaimed Her Life Through Sobriety
Three years before her bombshell memoir, the actress reached a major milestone by celebrating five years of sobriety, a journey she began by entering a treatment center “trembling like a little kid.”
According to The Blast, Dunham admitted that her addiction was driven by a deep desire for “ease” and a need to numb her mind and body from the pressures of pain, anxiety, and uncertainty.
However, she eventually realized that seeking a temporary escape only distanced her from her loved ones and the life she truly wanted to lead.
Reflecting on her journey via Instagram, Dunham also described the last five years as the happiest of her entire life.