Time Out: Tessa Thompson Clarifies Lena Dunham Beef Over Time's Up Initiative

Thompson apologized to Dunham Tuesday morning, but many are questioning if an apology was ever needed.

This celebrity squabble was over almost before it began.

Over the weekend, "Thor: Ragnarok" star Tessa Thompson shared a picture of a group of activists and celebrities--including Tarana Burke, Rosario Dawson, Brie Larson and Rashida Jones--crowded together to celebrate their hard work on Time's Up, the anti-sexual harassment movement backed by 300 prominent women in Hollywood.

One person on Thompson's Instagram asked, "Why is Lena Dunham there?She's part of the problem. No thank you to Time's Up." Another user brought up Dunham's latest controversy: defending Girls writer Murray Miller, who is accused of rape. "I support this initiative and the fight for gender justice and am really glad that the movement is growing," the user said. "I however am perplexed by the inclusion of Lena Dunham, a woman who publicly accused a young sexual assault survivor of color, Aurora Perrineau, of lying about her assault."

(Dunham later apologized for defending Murray, who denies Perrineau's claims.)

Thompson responded by distancing herself from Dunham. "Lena was not anywhere present in our group during the countless hours of work for the last two months," she told the user. "We hosted an open house for the actresses for red carpet messaging and Lena's presence was a surprise to us all. This is a time of reckoning. And for many, a re-education. So many women also have real work to do. I'm afraid it's too nuanced a conversation to have on this platform. But I hear you, and know that your thoughts and words are not lost on me. It's been discussed."

How the Time's Up Movement Impacted the 2018 Golden Globes

In response to Thompson, Dunham issued a statement to IndieWire. "I was honored to be invited to the meeting by a close friend and to observe the work that these amazing women have been doing the past few months," she said. "For highly personal reasons, I've been unable to join previous efforts but being asked to be a part of this celebratory moment was truly beautiful. I've worked with Tessa and respect her artistry and admire her consistent candor."

Thompson apologized to Dunham Tuesday morning.

https://twitter.com/TessaThompson_x/status/950671186735742976

But many on social media continued to show support to Thompson while condemning Dunham, saying they felt no apology was necessary.

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