Girls creator Lena Dunham is spearheading a fundraiser to benefit a mental health facility in a New York City hospital.

The writer/actress, who was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a young girl, will take charge of the 18 May (13) event to help generate cash to expand the psychiatric emergency room at Brooklyn's Lutheran Medical Center.

Dunham has a personal connection to the hospital - her aunt, Dr. Bonnie Simmons, serves as the head of emergency medicine there.

Simmons has heaped praise on her niece for being vocal about her mental health issues, telling the New Yo...

Actress Allison Williams has opened up about the sudden exit of her Girls co-star Christopher Abbott from the show, insisting his unexpected departure was "unfortunate".

The actor quit the hit U.S. TV series in April (13), shortly after starting work on season three, amid rumours of a bust-up with the show's creator and star, Lena Dunham.

His decision to walk away from his role as Charlie Dattolo left Williams' character, his onscreen girlfriend Marnie Michaels, suddenly single, and the actress is disappointed Abbott chose to leave so abruptly.

She tells TVLine.com, "(His departure had) ...

Girls actor Christopher Abbott has quit the hit TV series amid rumors of a bust-up with the show's creator and star Lena Dunham.

Abbott plays Charlie Dattolo, the on/off boyfriend of Allison Williams' character, in the critically-acclaimed series but has now left the show, just as his character was gaining prominence, after apparently falling out with Dunham.

A source tells New York Post gossip column Page Six, "They've just started work on Season 3, and Chris is at odds with Lena. He didn't like the direction things are going in, which seems a bit odd since the show put him on the map....

I'm still reeling from the end of season 2 of Girls. How perfectly dramatic and raw was that ending? If you're not familiar with the show, then first off, tsk-tsk. Granted, its target audience is 20-somethings looking for a mature television show with relatable characters, but that isn't reason enough not to watch even if you're not squarely in their demographics. Oh, and "mature television show" is the politically correct term to describe unedited nudity, swearing, drug use, and other "adult" situations.

If you are familiar with the show, then you know the four main protagonists are Hanna...

It's cruel to admit, but human beings feed off the failure of others. We don't want our friends to fail, but it's nice to know you've got the edge on someone. Those little victories are a personal reverence. "At least I'm not her," you say. "At least I'm doing something right."

But what if you're so used to being on top, that you're blind to a friend's sudden succession?

Marnie spent the first season of Girls as the success compass for her friends. She was curating art, wearing Ann Taylor suits, in a committed (if flawed) long-term relationship. She was, in some regards, "better" than Han...

There's a particular indelibility about your early twenties that's hard to clarify in layman's terms. You're equal parts eager, wistful, contemplative, mournful, nostalgic, muted, ample, sad. But most of all, you're sorry. You're sorry that you didn't do so many of the things you dreamed about in your early years. You're sorry you're not a veterinarian or a news anchor, you're sorry you don't have a family, you're sorry you had a family too soon, you're sorry you're settled into an existence you're not sure you wanted, you're sorry you still haven't found an existence worth settling for. Yo...

Allison Williams - one of the stars of HBO's hit series Girls - has partnered with Simple Skincare to help promote their line of skin care products, and recently joined BFTV to share her advice on not just skin care but the beauty products she can't live without.

Allison also talked about what's ahead in season 2 of Girls, as well as what it was like for her to grow up watching her father - noted NBC newsman Brian Wiliams - on television, only to grow up and end up on the small screen herself!

You can find out more information on Simple Skincare by visiting their Facebook page - and if yo...

Singer Katy Perry is ditching John Mayer and taking her actress pal Allison Williams to the 2013 Grammy Awards as her date.

The Fireworks hit-maker has been dating Mayer since last year and they've recently taken their relationship to the next level by house-hunting in California.

However, instead of walking the red carpet as a couple, Perry has invited Girls star Williams, whose boyfriend Ricky Van Veen is close friends with Mayer, to accompany her to the big show on Sunday .

Williams tells Anderson Cooper, "I am going to the Grammys. Katy Perry is my date. She is the hottest date. S...

"It's A Shame About Ray," the fourth episode of Girls' sophomore season, is about two distinctly different dinner parties that converge into two distinctly similar outcomes. One involves Jessa's first meeting with new husband Thomas John's parents. The other is Hannah's attempt at a grown up soiree, the first dinner party in this post-Elijah age. 

Anyone who's seen the show knows that a Jessa/parental figure meet-up is a disaster in the making. And, with a few minor exceptions, it totally is. Her hippie persona clashes almost instantly with Thomas John's WASPy folks, notably his rigid, blo...

Last night’s episode of Girls, “Bad Friend,” is probably the most outright hilarious in the show’s history. It’s not the best, mind you, and juggles a few too many bizarre storylines. But the laughs are a constant crescendo that come to a startling halt near the end with a confrontation the show has been building to since last year’s penultimate “break-up” between Hannah and Marnie.  

The episode begins with Hannah at an office, seeking a freelance writing opportunity. It’s one of those laughably “hip” start-ups, a company called jazzhate, that encourages its writers to do something crazy ...

It seems like Girls has building towards last night’s Hannah vs. Sandy scene its inception. The biggest controversy of the show hasn’t been Hannah Horvath’s obvious (and intentional) narcissism or the racy quips that spill from her and her friends’ mouths, but rather the distinct lack of cultural representation. Meaning: everyone is white as hell.

But now that Hannah’s dating a black guy, the discussion is open. And it turns out, Hannah is just as oblivious about the racial status of Brooklyn as critics accused her of being. But Dunham is smart enough and savvy enough to know what the Inte...

Lena Dunham accepted an invitation to appear on Howard Stern's radio show on Wednesday so he could apologize in person for branding her "fat".

The shock jock called the Girls creator a "camera hog" and "a little fat girl who kind of looks like Jonah Hill" after first watching her hit TV show, but soon changed his mind and began heaping praise on the star as the series continued.

He reached out to Dunham and invited her onto his Sirius-XM show to say sorry for his rude remarks, and the gracious Golden Globe winner accepted the offer.

During their chat on Wednesday, Stern bombarded Dunham ...

Howard Stern has invited Lena Dunham onto his radio show by way of an apology after branding the actress/screenwriter "a little fat girl."

Stern made cracks about the Girls star/creator on his Sirius-XM broadcast last week, calling her a "camera hog" and "a little fat girl who kind of looks like Jonah Hill."

Dunham insisted she was unfazed by his remarks, telling TV host David Letterman, "I did find out that Howard Stern really hates (Girls). I'm a Howard Stern fan and I really think that he has earned the right to free speech and he should just go for it."

Nevertheless, Stern's opini...

It started in a bed. And it starts in a bed, again.

In a mirror shot of the pilot’s opening scene, Girls season two pans up from the feet of two intricately laced bodies. But instead of Hannah and Marnie, it’s Hannah and Elijah, her gay ex-boyfriend and new roommate. We see the differences right away: Marnie was uptight and questioning, a counter to best friend Hannah’s puppy-like inability to grasp consequences. But Elijah is fun on overdrive. He and Hannah plan parties with themes like “Japanese snack night” and finish each other sentences. Their Brooklyn apartment is no longer an eclect...

Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna are trying to figure life out. They've been living in New York for a couple of years, but they're still not sure what they want – from boys, from each other, from themselves.

Over the course of "Girls" season one's 10 episodes, the four girls try to figure it all out. The answers aren't always clear or easy, but the search is profoundly relatable and infinitely amusing.

Created by and starring Lena Dunham, the HBO series "Girls" takes a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s.

Dunham, Judd Ap...

For all those that can't wait for the season two premiere of 'Girls,' HBO has been kind enough to give us a two minute first look. The ten episode season two of 'Girls' kicks off on Sunday, January 13, 2013 @ 9pm exclusively on HBO.

Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna are trying to figure life out. They’ve been living in New York for a couple of years, but they’re still not sure what they want – from boys, from each other, from themselves. And things aren’t getting any clearer. Created by and starring Lena Dunham ('Tiny Furniture'), GIRLS takes a comic look at the assorted humiliations and...

Hollywood has put out some great home entertainment releases over the past few months, and we have some suggestions for the film lover, TV fanatic, secret santa and more!

Not sure what to buy your picky uncle or reclusive sibling? Do you need something for the office grab bag? Check out our list of this season's must-have DVDs and Blu-ray discs...

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

THE AVENGERS

The premium 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack provides 5-unique ways to enjoy “Marvel’s The Avengers” (on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy and Digital Download of “Avengers Assembled” Music from and inspired by...

Early this morning Jimmy Kimmell and Kerry Washington announced the nominees for the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards. Multiple nominees include "Mad Men," "Downton Abbey" and "30 Rock."

Battling it out for the Outstanding Drama Series award will be "Mad Men," "Homeland," "Downton Abbey," "Dexter," "Breaking Bad," and "Boardwalk Empire."

Outstanding Comedy Series nods go to "30 Rock," "Girls," "Modern Family," "The Big Bang Theory," "Veep," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Notable nominees include Zooey Deschanel from fledging series "New Girl," Julia Louis-Dreyfus from HBO's "Veep," Claire Danes f...

You know the feeling. Everyone at the office talks about how great (insert TV show here) was, and you don't watch it. By the time you figure out how good the show is, it's too late to catch up.

Well, there's still time to watch some of last season's popular shows on DVD, Netflix, on demand or online, particularly if they're only half-hour comedies or 10-episode seasons.

First, check out AMC's "The Walking Dead." As the show progresses, more people are tuning in. About 9 million viewers tuned in to see the second season finale in March - 50 percent more than those who watched the first sea...

Actress/filmmaker Lena Dunham is addicted to reading viewers' real-time tweets as they watch her show Girls.

Dunham, creator and star of the hit HBO show, ignores critics' reviews but enjoys seeing how fans receive the characters in the comedy.

She tells The Hollywood Reporter, "It's crazy. It's so addictive. It's so weird. I wish that I wasn't so addicted to reading the tweets about the show. I sit at home thinking, like, 'How did they feel about Adam this week? Are they liking him more? Are they connecting to Marnie?'

"I don't really read reviews... That's not where my attention goe...

A long-past-its-due relationship is the foundation of Girl's fifth episode, "Hard Being Easy," the first one to focus almost solely on Marnie's crumbling romance with Charlie. The two have had it hard since the pilot: She's ready to move on, but she can't seem to shake him. Because he's just so nice. He doesn't deserve it. He hasn't done anything wrong. You know, all of the excuses a person can make for not breaking up with someone.

After last week's diary fiasco, Charlie's finally the one taking charge. He knows Manrie doesn't love him the way she used to, and he'd rather end things befo...

After three straight weeks of home runs, I really, really disliked the latest episode of "Girls."

Not that things have taken a dour 180. On the contrary, there's still plenty of hope nestled in the footnotes. It's a show with an impressive cast and characters with weight. I still cared about Marnie's happiness and Shoshanna's sexuality and even Charlie's bald head by the end. But the overwhelming excitement I got from the opening chapters fell quiet for this unimpressive half-hour, when broad commentary stood in for subtle discomfort.

As it goes, my favorite character in the first three e...

HBO has quickly renewed their latest hit comedies “Girls” and “Veep” for a second season. What’s in store for the 20-somethings of “Girls” and vice president Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)? There’s still a fruitful first season to get through.

“Girls” creator/star Lena Dunham said you’ll see many more embarrassing sexual mistakes for her character Hannah and all the girls. “They’re trying their hardest and they make mistakes, but they are working towards something,” Dunham said. “It’s a two steps forward one step back situation. They do need to grow up. That’s what the show is about. I...

The title of this week's episode of "Girls" refers to HPV. Not something you hear every day in TV land. As far as STDs go, HPV is less glamorous than HIV. Less shocking than the clap. It's a "chick problem," a disease passed among men, but for which no male test exists. And thus, it's a poisonous accusation. Hannah learns this the hard way at the beginning of "All Adventurous Women Do." She's just had raunchy sex with her weirdo boyfriend Adam (who is still mysteriously allergic to wearing shirts) when she gets a call from the clinic: she has HPV, and she's pretty sure Adam gave it to her. ...

The new HBO show exec-produced by Apatow deserves kudos for its risk-taking but it misses a crucial element: A reason to care.

Writer-director-star Lena Dunham makes her television debut in Girls. The HBO series pilot effectively taps into the twentysomething existential crisis zeitgeist . Gen Xers became synonymous with twentysomething angst but apparently Gen Yer's aren't immune to the existential crisis either. Dunham purports to be the "voice of my generation" which is a hefty label to apply to yourself. Dunham, succeeds, in large part, with Girls. It's funny in places, insightful and...

It’s practically moot to bring up the taboo “female comedy” tag here. So I won’t. Instead, I’d like to talk about “Girls,” the new half-hour HBO comedy from ingénue Lena Dunham, as it deserves to be talked about: as the brutally real, and abhorrently funny, nugget of genius that it is.

If you haven’t heard of Lena Dunham yet, you’re due for an ear cleaning: Not only did she receive tremendous accolades for her directorial feature debut, “Tiny Furniture” (now available on Criterion and Netflix Instant Watch), but she’s been at the top of the Arts & Entertainment section for the past month ...

Writer, director and star Lena Dunham has a new TV series on HBO. “Girls” features four 24-year-old women going through real issues, in a raunchy funny way. Since it’s from a woman’s perspective, it may push boundaries that make regular viewers uncomfortable. Dunham warns she likes to say “vagina” a lot.

“People have trouble with vagina which is why I chose to title several episodes Vagina _____,” Dunham said. “It’s amazing that a medical word like that can cause so much anxiety and I think it’s undeniable that there’s a double standard and that’s threatened people. I think we really try t...

Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna are trying to figure life out. They’ve been living in New York for a couple of years, but they’re still not sure what they want – from boys, from each other, from themselves. And things aren’t getting any clearer.

Created by and starring Lena Dunham (“Tiny Furniture”), the new HBO series GIRLS takes a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s. Dunham, Judd Apatow and Jenni Konner executive produce the show, which kicks off its ten-episode season SUNDAY, APRIL 15 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusive...