Lena Dunham is sorry for her 'distasteful' abortion joke

Lena Dunham arrives at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards in November. Photo/AP

Lena Dunham has had to apologise for a distasteful comment she made about abortion.

During the latest episode of her 'Women of the Hour' podcast, the Girls creator said that she wished she had had an abortion. She recalled a story where she had visited a Planned Parenthood and was asked to contribute to a project where people shared stories about their abortions.

"I sort of jumped. 'I haven't had an abortion,' I told her. I wanted to make it really clear to her that as much as I was going out and fighting for other women's options, I myself had never had an abortion.

"Even I, the woman who cares as much as anybody about a woman's right to choose, felt it was important that people know I was unblemished in this department.

"Now I can say that I still haven't had an abortion, but I wish I had."

The comments sparked outrage online, and a day later Dunham has posted a public apology.

She wrote on Instagram: "My latest podcast episode was meant to tell a multifaceted story about reproductive choice in America, to explain the many reasons women do or don't choose to have children and what bodily autonomy really means. I'm so proud of the medley of voices in the episode. I truly hope a distasteful joke on my part won't diminish the amazing work of all the women who participated.

"My words were spoken from a sort of "delusional girl" persona I often inhabit, a girl who careens between wisdom and ignorance (that's what my TV show is too) and it didn't translate. That's my fault. I would never, ever intentionally trivialize the emotional and physical challenges of terminating a pregnancy. My only goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma (sic)."

Lena, 30, went on to insist that she is "devoted to reproductive justice and freedom" and said that she had made a sizeable donation to abortionfunds.org.

She added: "I take reproductive choice in America more seriously than I take literally anything else, and therefore own full responsibility for any words I speak that don't convey this truth clearly. I know plenty of people will never like a thing that leaves my lips, mea culpas or no, but this apology is for the women who have placed their trust in me. You mean everything to me. My life is and always will be devoted to reproductive justice and freedom. You know how in some households you curse and have to put money in a jar? Well in mine, if you mess up your pro-choice messaging you have to give a sizable donation to abortion funds in New York, Texas and Ohio I look forward to fighting with you all for the next four years and beyond (sic)."