Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow spent a segment of his radio program this week revisiting a decade-old controversy involving writer and actor Lena Dunham, alleging that she falsely accused a Republican of rape in her 2014 memoir and criticizing HBO for helping revive her career.
Speaking on “The Alex Marlow Show,” Marlow said Dunham “put out a memoir 10 years ago where she falsely accused a Republican of rape,” and claimed that Breitbart News investigated the allegation at the time. According to Marlow, Breitbart’s John Nolte traveled to Oberlin College, where Dunham was a student, and “confirmed for a fact she was not raped by this person.”
The remarks, first flagged by Breitbart’s own clips page, frame the network’s latest criticism of Dunham around her return to HBO, the premium cable outlet that previously aired her series “Girls.” The source material does not specify which project or announcement prompted the segment, only that Marlow tied his remarks to HBO “reviving her career.”
A decade-old allegation resurfaces
Dunham’s memoir, published in 2014, drew widespread attention at the time for a passage describing an encounter during her college years. The details of that passage and the identity of the person involved have been the subject of dispute and commentary for years, with critics alleging the account was misleading and supporters defending it as a personal narrative about a confusing experience.
Marlow’s characterization — calling the episode a “rape hoax” — is his own framing, and the specific evidence he cites rests on Breitbart’s reporting from the period rather than on any new documentation presented in the segment. The source material does not include a response from Dunham or her representatives to Marlow’s latest comments, nor does it detail any legal action or formal finding related to the allegation.
Breitbart has long treated the Dunham memoir passage as a recurring target, and Marlow’s decision to bring it up again alongside HBO’s plans suggests the outlet intends to make the network’s programming choices a continuing line of attack.
Why it matters now
The segment lands as HBO, like other legacy media companies, navigates a politically charged environment in which past controversies involving talent can become flashpoints. Marlow’s framing places the network’s decision to work with Dunham again in the context of a broader argument about accountability in entertainment — one that Breitbart has pressed against other figures as well.
It remains unclear from the source material what specific HBO project is at issue, whether Dunham has commented publicly on the renewed criticism, or whether HBO has responded to Marlow’s characterization.
The show and its reach
“The Alex Marlow Show” airs weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern on Salem Radio Network stations and at 9 p.m. Eastern on the Salem TV news channel, according to Breitbart. Marlow’s podcast version is released weekdays at 9 p.m. Eastern and is available on YouTube, Rumble, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
The clip was promoted through Breitbart’s video operation, which directs followers to its account on X. The outlet’s framing of the Dunham story as a “rape hoax” is a characterization advanced by Marlow on the program, and readers evaluating the claim should weigh it against the original memoir passage and the reporting both sides have produced over the past decade.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/10/19/lena-dunham-led-a-rape-hoax-against-a-republican-now-hbo-is-reviving-her-career/