What Happened to Lena Dunham? What Illness does Lena Dunham have?
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Updated Jul 10, 2024
What Happened to Lena Dunham?
Lena Dunham shared on Instagram in May 2024 that she has a genetic condition called Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). She was diagnosed in 2019. Lena posted selfies showing symptoms like flushed skin, swelling in her hands, and hyper-flexibility in her knuckles and feet. She also shared a video using an elevator due to her condition and a close-up of her tattoo saying 'sick.'
hEDS is caused by collagen defects and symptoms can include muscle and bone pain, joint hypermobility, and easily bruised skin. Lena described how for years she thought her symptoms were quirks, like joint pain, migraines, and fainting spells, until she learned they were part of hEDS.
She highlighted that hEDS is one of 13 types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and is often misunderstood and under-diagnosed. It affects an estimated 1 in 5000 to 1 in 40,000 people.
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Who is Lena Dunham?
Lena Dunham is an American who writes, directs, acts, and produces. She created and starred in the TV show Girls (2012–2017), earning Emmy nominations and Golden Globe Awards. Dunham also directed episodes of Girls, being the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America Award for Comedy Series. She began with her semi-autobiographical film Tiny Furniture (2010), winning an Independent Spirit Award. Recently, she wrote and directed films like Sharp Stick and Catherine Called Birdy in 2022.
In 2013, Lena Dunham was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. She wrote her first book, "Not That Kind of Girl," in 2014, and in 2015, she co-created the feminist newsletter Lenny Letter with Jenni Konner, which ran until 2018.
Lena Dunham had small roles in movies like Supporting Characters and This Is 40 (both 2012), and Happy Christmas (2014). She voiced Mary in the film My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea (2016) and appeared in guest roles on TV shows like Scandal and The Simpsons (both 2015).
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Specifications |
Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Lena Dunham |
| Born | May 13, 1986 |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Age | 38 |
| Occupations | Writer, director, actress, producer |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse | Luis Felber (married in 2021) |
| Parents | Carroll Dunham (father) and Laurie Simmons (mother) |
| Siblings | Cyrus Grace Dunham |
Lena Dunham Career
While at Oberlin College, Lena Dunham made independent short films and posted them on YouTube. Her early works often explored themes of sexual exploration and were made in the mumblecore style, focusing on personal relationships. One of her films, "Pressure" (2006), discussed the pressure to experience orgasm. Another viral video, "The Fountain," drew criticism for her willingness to be filmed in a bikini, prompting Dunham to remove it due to negative comments about her appearance.
In 2010, Lena Dunham gained recognition with her semi-autobiographical film Tiny Furniture, where she played the lead role, Aura. The film won awards at festivals like South by Southwest and earned Dunham an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. This success led HBO to offer her a script deal, pairing her with showrunner Jennifer Konner. Judd Apatow also became interested after seeing Tiny Furniture, which paved the way for Dunham's HBO show creation.
From 2012 to 2017, Lena Dunham gained mainstream success with her HBO series Girls, where she played the lead role of Hannah Horvath. The show, inspired by her own experiences, received praise for its raw and funny portrayal of young adults in New York City. Dunham earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for acting, writing, and directing on the show. During this time, she also published her first book, "Not That Kind of Girl," which became a bestseller. Girls concluded in 2017 after six seasons.
Since 2018, Lena Dunham has been busy with various projects. She worked on her second book, set to be published by Random House. Dunham and Jennifer Konner co-ran the HBO series "Camping," which received mixed reviews. She also appeared in Quentin Tarantino's film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and launched a new production company, Good Thing Going, with HBO. Dunham directed episodes for HBO's "Industry" and continued her creative ventures with podcasts and film projects, including "Sharp Stick" and "Catherine Called Birdy."
Lena Dunham Husband
In January 2021, Lena Dunham started dating Luis Felber, a musician from England and Peru, after being introduced by a mutual friend. They got married in a Jewish ceremony at the Union Club in Soho in September 2021.
Before marrying Luis Felber, Lena Dunham was in a relationship with Jack Antonoff, the lead guitarist of the band fun. and the founder of Bleachers, starting in 2012. They were together until December 2017, when they separated on good terms.
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Lena Dunham Early Life
Lena Dunham was born in New York City. Her father, Carroll Dunham, is a painter, and her mother, Laurie Simmons, is an artist and photographer known for using dolls in her photos. Her father is Protestant with English ancestry, while her mother is Jewish. Lena has said she feels culturally Jewish and connects with her Judaism through Modern Hebrew poetry.
She went to Friends Seminary and later Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, where she met future Girls co-star Jemima Kirke. As a teenager, she won a Scholastic Art and Writing Award. Dunham started at The New School but transferred to Oberlin College, where she graduated in 2008 with a degree in creative writing. She has a younger sibling, Cyrus, who acted in her early films and graduated from Brown University in 2014. They grew up in Brooklyn and spent summers in Salisbury, Connecticut.
Lena Dunham Weight Gain
In 2021, Lena Dunham spoke out about comments criticizing her weight gain. She explained that she had gained weight since her time on television, but she didn't want people to shame her for it. Lena shared that in the past, when she was thinner, she was dealing with addiction and undiagnosed illness.
Since becoming sober and focusing on her health, she has gained weight, which she sees as a positive change. Lena emphasized that weight gain can also be a sign of healthier habits and shouldn't be judged negatively. She expressed happiness with her current body and wanted to encourage others to accept their bodies as they are, without feeling ashamed or pressured to change.
Lena Dunham Net Worth
She earns primarily through her work as a writer, director, actress, and producer in film and television. She also generates income from book deals, including her essay collection "Not That Kind of Girl," and various production projects through her companies.
What Illness does Lena Dunham have?
Lena Dunham has dealt with various health issues over the years, including endometriosis, which is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus grows outside the uterus. This condition can cause pain, especially during menstruation.
She has been open about her struggles with endometriosis and has undergone surgeries related to it. In 2024, she disclosed that she has Hypermobile Ehler Danlos Syndrome. Additionally, she has discussed issues related to her mental health and addiction recovery in the past.
