Lena Dunham reportedly delivered a vulgar speech at the rehearsal dinner for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding, held at Madison Square Garden's Infosys Theater in New York City. The event took place on Thursday.
According to an insider cited by the Daily Mail, Dunham, 40, quipped, "American football is just straight guys reenacting gay porn," referencing Travis Kelce's profession as an NFL player. The comment was met with a mixed reception from attendees, which included numerous NFL players and other sports stars.
Swift, who was a bridesmaid at Dunham's 2021 wedding, was said to have called Dunham "a genius" after the speech. The article's author, Caroline Bullock, criticized the decision to allow Dunham, whom she described as "overrated and often under-dressed," to speak, linking it to questionable judgment in the wedding's overall planning, which included "tasteless peach fabric" and Adam Sandler officiating.
Dunham, known for creating and starring in the HBO series "Girls," has a history of controversial remarks. These include a comparison of sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby to the Holocaust and a comment on her podcast "Women of the Hour" about wishing she had had an abortion. She later apologized for both instances.
Swift's "girl squad" was also noted, with the absence of Blake Lively highlighted as a sign of the group's "fickle churn." Guests who attended were treated to a series of events, including a Friday evening soiree described as "Alice in Wonderland meets The Wizard of Oz."
The wedding festivities, rumored to cost $50 million, saw "JUST&T MARRIED" signage displayed outside Madison Square Garden. The couple reportedly made $26 million in donations to charities, including food banks and children's hospitals, in an effort to mitigate criticism regarding the "vulgarity and inconvenience" caused by the event.
The article also pointed to the inconvenience faced by New Yorkers due to street closures and the deployment of over 100 NYPD officers. A custom handkerchief given to guests featured the lyric "So it's gonna be forever..." from Swift's song "Blank Space," which is followed by "Or it's going to go down in flames."