Ever the center of media spotlight, Lena Dunham used her various connections to contract the Ebola virus while traveling for her new book tour, in a move many are characterizing as “privileged” and “exploitative.”
“It’s distasteful and gratuitous to flaunt it so casually when it took many people years to get to a place where they could contract a disease like that,” says Gawker’s Hamilton Nolan. “She owes them some sort of compensation.”
Many speculated that Dunham’s wealthy parents and connections had a hand in her ability to contract the disease so easily. “Lena contracted the virus all by herself,” says Girls producer Judd Apatow, who stepped in to defend Dunham over the accusations. “Can you think of any other children of celebrities that have managed to contract Ebola?”
The discussion of whether Dunham truly deserves to be sick has erupted online. “I’m not even sure she has the disease,” says one blogger. “She may have simply had her friends at Vogue doctor an image to look like she does.”
“If she chooses to infect anyone,” says Judy Berman of The Atlantic, “I would hope she’d consider featuring a minority.”
Protestors surrounded Mount Sinai Hospital, where Dunham was reportedly in critical condition at press time.
