In her memoir, "Not That Kind of Girl," Lena Dunham wrote openly about difficult moments in her life, including being sexually assaulted while in college. The revelation sparked responses that ran the gamut from supportive to critical, with some even attempting to publicly discredit the "Girls" creator.
On Wednesday, Dunham sat down with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie and explained how she felt in the face of that response.
"It's a very, very painful thing to share an episode that personal and receive criticism," she said. "But what I received was only a small percentage of the doubt and victim blaming that most women who are sexually assaulted in this country experience."
The 28-year-old star went on to say she recognizes that her fame and personal success afford her benefits others just don't have.
"You know, I am a celebrity with a platform and a lot of incredible support," Dunham said. "Most women who come forward with accusations of sexual assault don't have those benefits — don't have my legal and emotional and financial supports."
Therefore she's looking at her own experience as just a small example of what other women have been through.
"I really feel like it enhanced my understanding of the cause, and will hopefully make me a better advocate and activist in the future," she added.
See more from Dunham on the Season 4 premiere of HBO's "Girls" on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.
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