Future copies of Lena Dunham’s book will clarify that Barry isn’t Barry

When Lena Dunham’s memoir “Not That Kind of Girl” leapt onto bestseller lists when it was released in September, it also stirred controversy. Among its more uncomfortable passages was the revelation that Dunham, the creator and star of the HBO show “Girls,” was a victim of date rape while in college at Oberlin.

In the book, Dunham describes her date/assailant as a mustashioed campus Republican named Barry.

A former fellow student who resembles that description, and is named Barry, is not pleased, his lawyer says.

“We’ve been trying to get their attention for months,” Barry’s lawyer told the Hollywood Reporter. “It took the threat of litigation to make them take action. We have certainly intimated that we think our client is being libeled, but we’ve been trying to be as reasonable as possible. The remedy to solve this issue is not necessarily legal in nature, and we recognize that. A lot of the suffering Barry was going through and was about to go through could be cured by simple, remedial action from Miss Dunham and Random House.”

In a statement, Random House explained that the copyright page of the book notes that “some names and identifying details in the book have been changed.”

The publisher further explains, “The name ‘Barry’ referenced in the book is a pseudonym. Random House, on our own behalf and on behalf of our author, regrets the confusion. The digital edition of ‘Not That Kind of Girl’ will reflect that ‘Barry’ is a pseudonym and that will also be reflected in future printings of the physical book.”

Dunham’s book continues to sell; it’s currently at No. 15 on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list, where it has been for nine consecutive weeks.

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