Star of hit series accuses famous colleague: 'He threw chairs and screamed at me, I thought that's what geniuses do'

In a candid reflection published in her new memoir, "Famesick," Lena Dunham, the creator and star of the acclaimed HBO series "Girls," has shed light on a tumultuous and often frightening working relationship with her co-star, Adam Driver. Dunham, who was in her early twenties when the show gained international success, alleges that Driver exhibited unpredictable and aggressive behavior on set, creating an intimidating atmosphere.

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When I opened my mouth, only stammering came out - until Adam finally yelled: 'SAY SOMETHING FUCKING' and threw a chair against the wall next to me. 'WAKE THE FUCK UP, DAMMIT,' he told me. 'I'M SICK OF WATCHING YOU JUST STARE.'

Dunham recounts a particularly shocking incident during a rehearsal where, struggling to remember her lines, she was met with Driver's explosive outburst. She describes him yelling, "SAY SOMETHING FUCKING" and throwing a chair against a wall near her, followed by "WAKE THE FUCK UP." At the time, Dunham admits she didn't know how to confront him, believing that such behavior was simply how "male geniuses" operated, a notion influenced by her upbringing with her own father, artist Carroll Dunham, who she states never behaved that way.

The memoir details further instances of Driver's alleged volatile conduct, including him punching a hole in his trailer wall out of frustration with his hairstyle and frequently shouting at Dunham. Even during the filming of intimate scenes, which Dunham states were carefully choreographed, she claims Driver would "throw her around," fearing the scenes might devolve into something akin to a "seventies porn film."

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At the time, I didn't have the skill... it never occurred to me to say, 'I am your boss, you can't talk to me like that.' In my twenties, I still thought that's what great male geniuses did: they destroy you.

This account from Dunham, writing for Večernji List, offers a critical perspective on power dynamics and workplace behavior within the entertainment industry. While Driver's intense performances have been widely praised, Dunham's memoir brings to the forefront the personal cost of such intensity when it crosses professional boundaries. Her reflections highlight a personal journey of understanding and asserting oneself in challenging environments, prompting a broader conversation about artistic temperament versus workplace harassment, particularly from the viewpoint of a female creator in a male-dominated field.

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He was 'short-tempered, verbally aggressive, condescending, and physically imposing.'