Lena Dunham Won’t Do Press For New ‘Girls’ Season Due To Health Reasons

The end is nigh for all Girls fans, but the series co-creator and star, Lena Dunham announced tonight that she will have to take a step back from much of the new season press and promotion due to her struggle with the chronic condition, endometriosis. She took to Facebook to explain her decision:

?I just wanted to let you know that, while I am so excited for Girls to return on February 21st, I won’t be out and about doing press for the new season. As many of you know I have endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women’s reproductive health,? she said.

Dunham wrote in-depth about her dealings with this in a recent Lenny Letter. Endometriosis is a condition without known cause that occurs in women where the lining of the womb decides to venture to the pelvic area, ovaries and other places in the body.

“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.”

She previously said how she was afraid to take breaks from work for fear that she’d be viewed as weak, especially when she was predominantly working with males at the beginning of her career. ?Already self-conscious about imposing my vision on a group of men and asking for their help in executing it, I hid my pain as best I could.?

However, this time, the writer and actress has decided enough is enough. “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,” she added.

But I am strong because I’ve dealt with [endometriosis]. 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.

We say fair play to her putting herself?and her health?first, despite the obvious pressure she must be under from studio bosses. We wish her well and hope she can relax and recuperate.

Read her full Lenny post here.