Lena Dunham is making her return to television after taking a long break from acting following the end of her HBO show Girls. The Golden Globe winner will appear in Netflix’s new series Too Much, which is set to premiere on July 10.
According to The Times, the actress and creator of Girls recently opened up about why she stepped away from both acting and public life after her HBO show ended in 2017. Her experience with body shaming during the show has been well-documented as part of the broader nudity debate surrounding Girls. The decision came after she faced several controversies during and after the show’s six-season run from 2012 to 2017.
Dunham shared her struggles with public perception during that period. “I always joke that I need a T-shirt that says, ‘I survived New York media in 2012 and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.’ And all I got was this lousy PTSD,” she said. She also mentioned that she had trouble understanding how to handle public attention and criticism.
How prescription medication and public pressure led to her break from acting
During this challenging period, Dunham went to rehab for an addiction to prescription anxiety medication. She described the experience as overwhelming, saying that all the personal growth that had been held back during the show suddenly happened very quickly. She called it a “painful metamorphosis” that led to her taking an “intentional break” from public life.
it's so beautiful watching someone start girls borderline unable to stomach any scene with lena dunham make it to the end and see them begin to sympathize and love her
— weed wench (@4plunk20) July 1, 2025
The creator faced several controversies during her time on Girls, including criticism about the show’s lack of diversity. She also received significant backlash in 2017 when she supported series writer and executive producer Murray Miller after actress Aurora Perrineau accused him of sexual assault.
In Netflix’s Too Much, Dunham plays a supporting role as the main character’s older sister. She initially didn’t want to appear in the series at all, telling The New Yorker that she wasn’t ready to face the kind of body shaming she experienced during Girls. Her concerns reflect the horrific body-shaming culture that defined the ’90s and ’00s, which continues to impact public figures today. The show, which she co-created with her husband Luis Felber, follows a New Yorker named Jessica who moves to London after a bad breakup.
Dunham explained that she struggled with separating what information should and shouldn’t be shared with the public. She thought that if she could properly explain herself to people, they would understand her better. However, she eventually realized that “no one cares, and that’s fine.”
