Lena Dunham admits she "spent so much time ashamed" after being date raped at university.
The 'Girls' creator and star, who is now in a long-term relationship with Fun.'s Jack Antonoff, says it took her a long time to get over the experience and she found it therapeutic to write about it in her new memoir, 'Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned'.
The 28-year-old actress told NPR's [National Public Radio] 'Fresh Air' host Terry Gross: "It was a painful experience physically and emotionally and one I spent a long time trying to reconcile."
Lena - who studied creative writing at Oberlin College in Ohio - kept the assault a secret from friends at the time.
She said: "I actually [have] been thinking about it a lot this week because I sent an email to somebody who I had known at that time who knew the guy who had perpetrated the act...I wanted to make it clear to this old friend what I felt had happened before he potentially...read about it.
"I said to this old friend in an email: 'I spent so much time scared; I spent so much time ashamed.' "
The Golden Globe winner believes sharing her story has helped her to recover.
She said: "I don't feel that way [ashamed] anymore and it's not because of my job, it's not because of my boyfriend, it's not because of feminism, though all those things helped. It's because I told the story. And I'm still here, and my identity hasn't shifted in some way that I can't repair. And I still feel like myself and I feel less alone."

Steven Tyler is "over the moon" that Liv Tyler is pregnant again.
The Aerosmith rocker is delighted his eldest daughter, who already has son Milo, nine, with ex-husband Royston Langdon, and her boyfriend Dave Gardner are expecting their first child.
The 66-year-old star told E! News: "I am over the moon that we are adding another member to our wolf pack."
He added: "Being a father and a grandfather is the greatest gift in life so far."
The 'Leftovers' beauty confirmed she is pregnant yesterday (30.09.14) after weeks of speculation.
The 37-year-old actress started dating Dave earlier this year after being introduced by their mutual friend Kate Moss and a friend recently said: "Dave's perfect for her."
The soccer agent, who is best friends with David Beckham, also already has a son, Grey, seven, with ex-wife Davinia Taylor.
Liv recently admitted she was "100 per cent planning" on having more children.
The 'Lord of the Rings' star said: "I hope I will have more children. I'm 100 per cent planning on it.
"If the stork could just drop it off on my roof, I'd be so happy - I'd have, like, 20."

Kendall Jenner is reportedly infatuated with Chris Brown.
The 18-year-old model has fallen head-over-heels for the 'Loyal' hitmaker, 25, despite the fact he is still in a relationship with Karrueche Tran.
A source close to the brunette beauty told Us Weekly magazine that she has become "obsessed" with the troubled R&B star, who spent 108 days behind bars for violating his probation when he allegedly made threats about using guns while seeking anger-management treatment in rehab earlier this year, after partying with him several times in recent months.
The insider said the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star went back to Chris' house in Los Angeles after the MTV Video Music Awards in August, where they "hung out with friends until 5am."
Kendall and Chris, who was placed on five years probation after beating up his former girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, were also photographed with Trey Songz and her younger sister, Kylie Jenner, 17, at another house party in July.
The source said that their mother Kris Jenner "hates that they're into bad boys."
Another source claimed that their father Bruce Jenner had banned them from hanging out with Chris last month.
The insider told OK! magazine: "Bruce doesn't want his baby girls anywhere near Chris and his friends.
"Bruce told Kris she'd better back him in banning the girls from spending any more time with Chris Brown and that it's not negotiable."

James 'Arg' Argent admits he has been "cringing" at the footage of him exiting a plane in Ibiza drunk.
The 'TOWIE' star got very intoxicated on a flight from the UK to the Spanish party island and at one stage vomited on his shirt in his seat, as well as puking all over the plane's toilet.
As he was getting off the Easyjet aircraft a fellow passenger recorded him with no shirt on and clumsily trying to zip up his hoodie as he was flanked by three men and one woman and the foursome also had to help him though customs.
Arg has now taken to Twitter to confess his embarrassment about the footage and his actions.
He tweeted: "Cringing at video.In my defense it ended up being 7hr flight & we were all going stir crazy.Been good since then &no partying for me in Ibiza (sic)"
When he landed in Ibiza to shoot scenes for 'The Only Way Is Essex', Arg laid off the booze and spent most of his time working out.
Bosses have been growing so concerned about his recent erratic behaviour they hired a minder to travel everywhere with the cheeky chappie while he has in Ibiza.
They made the decision after the 26-year-old reality TV star was reported missing in August by his mum after he missed a meeting with his agent and was unreachable by phone. Arg eventually contacted his mother to say he was OK and the police search was called off.

Victoria Beckham has saved the dress she wore on her first date with husband David to hand down to their daughter.
The former Spice Girls singer - who has Brooklyn, 15, Romeo, 12, Cruz, nine, and Harper, three, with the retired soccer star - recently sold many of her previously-worn items in aid of charity Mothers2Mothers but admits there were a few items she couldn't bear to part with.
She said: "I kept my wedding dress.
"I couldn't give away the dress I first wore when I went out with David. It was a little high-street suede mini-dress so I've kept that for her."
The 40-year-old fashion designer recently opened her first stand-alone store in London and though her working life has been hectic recently, she feels "very lucky" to have a good support network.
She told Stylist magazine: "It's pretty full on when I get home, getting the kids' tea, bathing them, doing homework.
"It's a lot to do but I surround myself with the right people and just get on with it. I feel very lucky."
Victoria previously admitted clearing out her wardrobe for the sale - which saw 600 items auctioned via TheOutnet website - was "cathartic".
She said: "We went through 20 years of clothes and shoes, hundreds of boxes and rails, and it feels cathartic to have had such a big clear out for such a great cause.
"There was a lot of hilarity, some bad dressing up 'selfies' and a few emotional moments, too."

Lindsay Lohan is ready to have children.
The 28-year-old actress - who is currently starring in 'Speed-the-Plow' on London's West End - has a few professional goals she wants to achieve but is also keen to settle down and raise a family.
She said: "After this play - whether or not I do another play right after - I want to do another movie, and then I just want to like, fall in love and have a family, with kids. I mean, that's what I want after this.
"[Am I seeing anyone?] Not presently."
The troubled star - who has been in rehab six times - is also keen to work with her friend Oprah Winfrey's charity projects in Africa.
She explained in an interview with Britain's Marie Claire magazine: "[Documentary series] 'Lindsay' will start filming again in January but you know, I also like doing a lot of work with kids.
"Oprah is building more schools in Africa, so I think that's where I'll be going after the play.
"We take a lot for granted and it's good to step outside yourself sometimes and look at what you have and go, 'Wow my life's pretty good.'
"You go and see these children who have no idea what's going on in the world and they're suffering and it's those moments that change you and wake you up. We forget to do that. It's so important to slow down."

Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi claims she was "literally dying" in labour.
The former 'Jersey Shore' star and fiance Jionni LaValle welcomed second child Giovanna into the world last week and was relieved to arrive at hospital in time for a pain-numbing epidural.
She said: "Thank God I got to the doctors at that time because it was the perfect time for me to get the epidural so I won't feel her come out. Everything worked out, but the fact that I felt the contractions up to almost seven centimetres -- holy c**p!"
Referring to women who give birth without pain relief, she added: "You are my heroes. You are amazing. You are freakin' awesome.
"I cannot take that pain. I was literally dying. I was trying to breathe and be calm, but it just feels like there's a million knives stabbing you in the uterus and you can't do it."
The 26-year-old star - who also has a two-year-old son, Lorenzo, with Jionni - is breastfeeding Giovanna but is finding the process incredibly painful.
She said on her Podcast One show: "My boobs are killing me. I feel like my nipples are going to fall off.
"With Lorenzo, I didn't actually latch on. I just did the pump, so it didn't hurt that bad. But with Giovanna, I tired to latch on at the hospital and she latched on right away. So I said, 'You know what? Let me just do this until I get my milk in and then I'll just go straight to pumping, but Giovanna has been on my boob every single hour for the past four days, and my nipple is going to fall off. I can't feel it! It's so painful, but I gotta do what I gotta do because I feel like my breast milk is the best milk for my baby.
"No matter how much pain I'm in, I've just gotta bite my tongue and give her my milk."

Isla Fisher is reportedly pregnant.
The 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' star and husband Sacha Baron Cohen are said to be expecting their third child together and the actress is already through her first trimester.
A source told Us Weekly magazine: "She's around three months along."
Isla - who already has daughters Olive, six, and Elula, four, with Sacha - is said to be cutting back on her working commitments already.
The source added to the magazine: "She pulled out of 'Now You See Me 2'.
"Production starts in November and she knew she wouldn't be able to do it."
Isla has previously admitted she prefers taking on supporting roles in movies these days, not only because they are "interesting" but also because they allow her to be around her family more.
The 'Great Gatsby' star said: "Family is 100 per cent my top priority. So I'm much more comfortable doing supporting roles right now.
"And often. They're the most interesting. You get to be a character actress."
The Australian beauty breast-fed both her daughters until they were two years old and admitted she loved the "bond" it created between herself and her kids.
She has said: "What I loved about breast-feeding was that bond of one-on-one time. The serotonin that's released calms you down and connects you to the baby."

Taylor Swift insists dating is the "last thing" on her mind.
The 24-year-old singer - who has previously been in relationships with Harry Styles, Joe Jonas, John Mayer and Jake Gyllenhaal - admits she isn't looking for a boyfriend at the moment and doesn't know why anyone would want to date someone who has a high level of fame.
She said: "I can't picture how it could work with the way my life is. I don't know how a guy is supposed to walk next to his girlfriend when there are 20 men with cameras, and he can't protect his girlfriend because that's the life she chose.
"I just don't see how it could work, so I don't think about it, and I kind of run from it when it presents itself. I don't think any guy really ... They think that they would want to get to know me, and maybe date me, but I don't think they want what comes with it."
The 'I Knew You Were Trouble' hitmaker is set to release her fifth studio album, '1989', later this month and as the record is going to be pure pop she is conscious about hurting fans' feelings by "betraying" Nashville and her country roots.
She added to Vogue magazine: "This time around I've chosen the brave and bold way of going about things.
"Because with this album I've completely changed the sound of everything I've done until now. So it's interesting to not be afraid of that. You know, I don't want to hurt people's feelings, I don't want to betray Nashville, whatever, but essentially it comes down to challenging yourself as an artist."
Taylor's revelation that she isn't looking to date a man comes after her good friend Ed Sheeran admitted he has tried on several occasions to set her up with some of his pals.
He said: "I have tried to set Taylor up with a few of my friends. I have a lot of good looking friends."

Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey will star in 'Boss Baby'. The 'American Beauty' actor and Baldwin, 56, will lend their voices to the latest DreamWorks animation which will be helmed by 'Madagascar' co-director Tom McGrath. The film - which is rumoured ...

The 'Twilight' franchise is to return in the form of five short films that will be broadcast exclusively on Facebook.
It's been revealed five female directors will be selected to make their own short film based on the iconic characters for 'The Storytellers - New Creative Voices of The Twilight Saga'.
The directors will be mentored by a group of experts that includes 'Twilight' actress Kristen Stewart, 24, and series author Stephenie Meyer, who said: "The female voice is something that has become more and more important to me as I've worked in the film industry."
Lionsgate announced it will run the scheme in conjunction with its production partners and the Women in Film organisation.
Meyer added: "I'm honoured to be working with Women in Film, Lionsgate and Facebook on a project dedicated to giving more women a chance to be heard creatively."
Women In Film president Cathy Schulman added: "Accessing Hollywood is a momentous challenge, especially for aspiring female filmmakers, so I'm thrilled that Women In Film has been invited to join Stephenie Meyer, Lionsgate and Facebook to empower new storytellers with diverse voices."
Fans of the popular film franchise are being encouraged to get involved with the project, which will begin in earnest next year.

The first trailer has been released for the eagerly-awaited third film in the 'Taken' franchise. The new teaser to the movie - which has seen its title updated to 'Tak3n' - stars Hollywood legends Liam Neeson, 62, and Forest Whitaker, 53. The clip se...