A man identified as "Barry One" in a Breitbart News report last week has
set up a legal fund and may sue author Lena Dunham because she refuses to clear his name in association with a rape allegation made in her memoir,
Breitbart reports.
Dunham, the creator and star of HBO's "Girls," wrote about a man named Barry whom she says raped her during her freshman year at Oberlin College in Ohio.
Breitbart's
original investigation failed to uncover anyone who matched the complete description. The story, by reporter John Nolte, noted that Dunham never said the name Barry was a pseudonym, but elsewhere in her book does give a pseudonym to an ex-boyfriend to protect his identity.
That leaves the reader with the impression that Barry is the rapist's actual name, and no one attended Oberlin at the time other than Barry One.
According to Barry One's lawyer, Aaron Minc, the man, whose first name is Barry, is a married father and is worried his last name will be published since it is easily found via a Google search.
Barry One has asked Dunham through her publicists since October 6, but she has refused, his lawyer said.
"All proceeds will be spent by Barry on legal costs and related fees associated with defending Barry's reputation, including, but not limited to, potentially pursuing Lena Dunham and Penguin Random House for harm caused to Barry's reputation from the publication and sale of Ms. Dunham's memoir," read a statement from Barry One's lawyer, Breitbart reports.
"Barry has already spent a substantial portion of his savings on legal fees because of the actions (and inactions) of Ms. Dunham and Penguin Random House," the statement continues. "Despite multiple requests, Lena Dunham has not issued any sort of statement clearing Barry’s name and clarifying the confusion that is happening."
The statement says that any proceeds not used on legal-related costs will be donated to not-for-profit organizations that assist victims of rape and sexual assault.
The gofundme campaign had raised more than $16,000 as of Sunday.
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