Lena Dunham Skips ‘Girls’ Events Due to Disease

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By JTA February 9, 2016

With the debut of “Girls” season five quickly approaching, show creator and star Lena Dunham announced she will not be doing press for the show due to a health condition, endometriosis. Dunham posted a photo and statement on Facebook detailing her current state of health.

“I just wanted to let you know that, while I am so excited for ‘Girls’ to return on Feb. 21, I won’t be out and about doing press for the new season,” Dunham posted.

“As many of you know, I have endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women’s reproductive health. I am currently going through a rough patch with the illness and my body (along with my amazing doctors) let me know, in no uncertain terms, that it’s time to rest. That’s a hard thing to do, but I’m trying, because all I want is to make season 6 of ‘Girls’ the best one yet. I’m lucky enough to have support and backup from Jenni, Judd and the whole ‘Girls’ gang. So many women with this disease literally don’t have the option of time off and I won’t take it for granted.”

This isn’t the first time Dunham has been vocal about her health. Last November, she opened up about endometriosis and OCD in her newsletter Lenny Letter. “But I am strong because of what I’ve dealt with,” Dunham wrote. “I am oddly fearless for a wimp with no upper-body strength. And I am no longer scared of my body. In fact, I listen to it when it speaks. I have no choice but to respect what it tells me, to respect the strength of its voice and the truth of my own.”

Season five of “Girls” premieres on HBO on Feb. 21.

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