Lena Dunham is no stranger to controversy, especially in recent days. The 28-year-old actress has been known to push the envelope when dealing with issues of feminism and social justice. Dunham released a Buzzfeed article on Tuesday, in response to attacks for being candid about her sexual abuse in her memoir, Not That Kind of Girl.

She admits that it has been almost a decade since the incident has occurred and it has taken a while for her to accept it, and even longer to talk about it. As frank and honest as the essay was, she opted to change character names and descriptive details. This move to protect the privacy of certain individuals backfired slightly for a certain Barry.

The name happens to be that of Dunham’s attacker in her memoir. Dissension arose when a current Oberlin College student was mistaken as the same Barry in her book.

The Buzzfeed article started out with an apology and a clarification of the mishap. The name was only meant to represent a pseudonym, and Dunham has reached out to the Oberlin student currently affected by the mistake. The publisher of Lena’s book, Random House, has offered to pay any legal fees that he may acquire by way of lawyers, court fees, etc.

The actress went on to say that speaking out about her assault was not about retribution. For her, it was about exposing her shame, and “letting it dry out in the sun.” There was no desire for contact between her and her assailant.

Drawing from inspiration from countless women who were bold enough to tell their stories, she decided to come forth. Knowing she had the perfect platform in which to voice her story, she wrote about the offense in her book. It is very common for women who have been sexually assaulted to keep the incursion to themselves, as was no different in her case.

Her decision to finally speak up stemmed from the support of family and friends. She was not guileless in assuming that everyone would be empathetic and understanding. Sexual assault is a sore subject in today’s society that is met with much opposition and intolerance.

Amidst shocking headlines and the media contacting friends and family members, Lena refuses to accept blame in a situation where she has been victimized. “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. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what is written about me individually. I accept the realities of being in the public eye. But I simply cannot allow my story to be used to cast doubt on other women who have been sexually assaulted.”

She went on to say that she can only imagine what it must be like for those without the same privileges as her, who are having to deal with sexual abuse. In the same passage, she urges others to speak out about the intracacies that come with assault. She closes out her essay with the strong message that “there is no right way to survive rape and there is no right way to be a victim.”