What Happened Between Adam Driver and Lena Dunham: Everything We Know So Far

Prior to leading Hollywood blockbusters, Adam Driver got his big break on Girls, where he starred as Adam Sackler, the toxic on-again, off-again love interest of Lena Dunham’s Hannah. While it has been years since the HBO drama, which was created by Dunham, concluded its six-season run, the series has once again gained traction following newly surfaced allegations from the showrunner against the Marriage Story star.

Throughout their reportedly tumultuous working relationship on the six-season HBO drama, Dunham, in her new memoir, Famesick, alleged several instances of unprofessional behavior on Driver’s part. The actor was also met with questions during his Cannes Film Festival appearance following the premiere of his new feature, Paper Tiger. Although it remains unclear how much weight some of these allegations carry, here’s an overview of the entire controversy.

Adam Driver and Lena Dunham’s History

Despite starting as a recurring figure in the HBO drama, Adam Driver eventually cemented himself as one of the show’s breakout stars. Moreover, even though the working relationship between Driver and Lena Dunham appears to have been riddled with moments of tension, the two don’t seem to have been entirely on negative terms.

Beyond the allegations surrounding Driver’s verbal outbursts, Dunham noted that he could also be protective. She further claimed that the intensity of his anger was “proportionate to the intensity of our creative connection.” The excerpt read (via Variety):

Although the duo were reportedly in tears while shooting their final scene together on Girls, which saw their characters breaking up for good, Dunham revealed that they ultimately haven’t remained on speaking terms since.

Lena Dunham’s Allegations Against Adam Driver Explained

A still from Girls | Credit: HBO

In her memoir, the Girls showrunner recounted several incidents involving Adam Driver’s alleged volatile and aggressive demeanor, dating back to one of their characters’ intimate scenes in season 1. According to Lena Dunham, the Star Wars star disregarded her carefully planned blocking as he allegedly hurled her around during the scene, which left Dunham questioning her authority as a director.

Dunham also detailed an incident that allegedly took place while the two were rehearsing lines inside a trailer. According to the showrunner, after she repeatedly stammered and forgot her lines, Driver allegedly threw a chair at the wall next to her and yelled, “F—ing say something.”

The actor also allegedly punched a hole in his trailer wall after becoming upset over his haircut, per Dunham.

What Has Adam Driver Responded to The Allegations?

A still from Girls | Credit: HBO

While Adam Driver has largely remained tight-lipped about the allegations, he did briefly address the drama when he was asked about Lena Dunham’s claims from her memoir.

Instead of directly addressing the allegations, the actor jokingly deflected the question by saying that he was “saving” his response for his own book (via The Guardian). To clarify, there are currently no known plans for a memoir from Driver, who is currently busy promoting his upcoming feature alongside Scarlett Johansson.

Although it’s hard to tell how much of the allegations ring true, it also doesn’t appear that Dunham holds a lasting grudge against the actor, as she amusingly entertained the prospect of working with him again in her memoir.

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Girls is currently streaming on HBO Max.