Lena Dunham disputes abuse allegations in Twitter 'rage spiral'

Lena Dunham was in a "rage spiral" as she disputed a writer's contention that she sexually abused her little sister.

• AUDIO | Lena Dunham as a feminist icon

In a recent essay for the conservative National Review Online, Kevin D. Williamson cited a passage from Dunham's best-selling memoir Not That Kind of Girl in which she recalled kissing and touching her sister, Grace. "Very disturbing behaviour," Williamson wrote.

The passage in question reads: "Grace was sitting up, babbling and smiling, and I leaned down between her legs and carefully spread open her vagina. She didn't resist and when I saw what was inside I shrieked.

"My mother came running. 'Mama, Mama! Grace has something in there!'

"My mother didn't bother asking why I had opened Grace's vagina. This was within the spectrum of things I did. She just on her knees and looked for herself. It quickly became apparent that Grace had stuffed six or seven pebbles in there. My mother removed them patiently while Grace cackled, thrilled that her prank had been a success."

Dunham fires back 

In response to her critics, Dunham posted several tweets over the weekend that she called a "rage spiral."

"The right wing news story that I molested my little sister isn't just LOL (laugh out loud) -  it's really f---ing upsetting and disgusting. And by the way, if you were a little kid and never looked at another little kid's vagina, well, congrats to you."

"I bet you have some (stories) too, old men, that I'd rather not hear," she continued.

• On mobile? Read Dunham's tweets here, here and here

She also wrote that the allegations were "upsetting" and "disgusting." She described the incidents as those of a "weird" 7-year-old girl and challenged her critics to acknowledge that such experiences were common.