Lena Dunham and her husband, British musician Luis Felber, have welcomed their first child, a baby girl born via surrogate.
The 40-year-old creator of Girls announced the news in an essay for Vogue, describing the moment she first met her daughter.
“Hello. I’m your mama. You look nothing like I thought you would, but exactly right. We’ve been waiting for you, do you know that? It was so nice of you to come,” Dunham wrote.
She added: “I meant it. Like a kid who wasn’t sure if their schoolmates would arrive for the birthday party, I was bashful and dizzy with joy.”
Dunham underwent a total hysterectomy in 2018 after years of pain linked to endometriosis. The operation removed her uterus and cervix, as well as one ovary, leaving her unable to conceive or carry a child.
She previously said the decision followed “years of complex surgeries measuring in the double digits”, alongside attempts at treatments including pelvic floor therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture and yoga.
Dunham later described the hysterectomy as “a grief but it was also a relief”. She also revealed that she and Felber were exploring “new ways” of expanding their family.
The couple met during the Covid-19 lockdown after being introduced by a mutual friend. Their first date was a nighttime walk along the River Thames, and Felber has said they “didn’t stop talking for eight hours”.
They married in a low-key ceremony in London in September 2021, several months after Dunham first disclosed that she was dating Felber. At the time, she described him as “the greatest person I’ve ever met”.
Dunham was previously in a relationship with musician Jack Antonoff from 2012 until 2017.
