There was controversy when the sexual assault came to light as the name Lena gives her assailant in her book, Barry, wasn't clearly marked as a pseudonym. This led to a a man named Barry who attended Oberlin said he was misidentified as the "Barry" in Dunham's memoir even though he had never met her.

Publishers Random House have since said they would ensure that future editions of the tome would be clearly marked.

In response to the controversy, Lena stated that her intention was never to reveal her attacker.

“Speaking out was never about exposing the man who assaulted me,” she wrote for Buzzfeed. "Rather, it was about exposing my shame, letting it dry out in the sun. I did not wish to be contacted by him or to open a criminal investigation.”

“When I finally chose to share my story, I did not do so in a vacuum. I was inspired by all the brave women who are now coming forward with their own experiences, despite the many risks associated with speaking out.”

“I have been made to feel, on multiple occasions, as though I am to blame for what happened. But I don't believe I am to blame. I don't believe any of us who have been raped and/or assaulted are to blame.”

“I simply cannot allow my story to be used to cast doubt on other women who have been sexually assaulted.”

‘When I was raped I felt powerless’; Lena Dunham opens up about sexual assault