Lena Dunham ‘shuts down Lenny Letter’ three years after launch following ‘plunging readership’



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After three years online, Lena Dunham’s website Lenny Letter is coming to an end.

The feminist website with past contributors including Jennifer Lawrence and Alicia Keys will be ceasing operations this Friday, according to The New York Post.

Lenny Letter staffers were notified last week of the closure, Digiday reported, citing an email it had reviewed.  

Shutting down: After three years online, Lena Dunham's website Lenny Letter is coming to an end

Shutting down: After three years online, Lena Dunham's website Lenny Letter is coming to an end

Shutting down: After three years online, Lena Dunham’s website Lenny Letter is coming to an end

Editors at the site reportedly told freelance writers this week they would be receiving ‘kill fees’ – compensation for articles that have not yet been published, according to The Post.

Described as ‘Feminism, style, health, politics, friendship, and everything else — unfiltered’, Lenny Letter was launched in 2015 by Lena and her longtime collaborator, Jenni Konner.

The pair had already been working together for years on Lena’s hit series, Girls.

The very first issue of Lenny Letter featured an interview with Hilary Clinton, and later would draw articles from stars including Jennifer Lawrence and Alicia Keys.

Homepage: Described as 'Feminism, style, health, politics, friendship, and everything else — unfiltered', Lenny Letter was launched in 2015 by Lena and her longtime collaborator, Jenni Konner

Homepage: Described as 'Feminism, style, health, politics, friendship, and everything else — unfiltered', Lenny Letter was launched in 2015 by Lena and her longtime collaborator, Jenni Konner

Homepage: Described as ‘Feminism, style, health, politics, friendship, and everything else — unfiltered’, Lenny Letter was launched in 2015 by Lena and her longtime collaborator, Jenni Konner

Lena even spoke candidly about suffering from endometriosis in articles she had written for the site. 

But the website struggled to find advertisers, according to The Post, and last summer it’s readership reportedly plummeted when only half of it’s 500,000 subscribers were clicking on newsletters. 

Hearst was initially tasked with selling advertising, and a source told The Post at the time that they struggled to find meaningful revenue for the site.

Tough: But the website struggled to find advertisers, according to The Post, and last summer it's readership reportedly plummeted when only half of it's 500,000 subscribers were clicking on newsletters

Tough: But the website struggled to find advertisers, according to The Post, and last summer it's readership reportedly plummeted when only half of it's 500,000 subscribers were clicking on newsletters

Tough: But the website struggled to find advertisers, according to The Post, and last summer it’s readership reportedly plummeted when only half of it’s 500,000 subscribers were clicking on newsletters

Conde Nast later took over advertising sales in a deal that was set to begin this year.

A number of controversies attached to the site were reportedly not helpful in attracting advertisers either.

Last year Lena faced major backlash for calling actress Aurora Perrineau a liar when she claimed she was raped by a writer from Girls. 

Lena and Jenni said that Murray Miller was innocent and that Aurora – who said that she was 17-years-old when she was raped in 2012 – was ‘one of the three-percent of badault cases that are misreported every year’.   

The HBO star apologized and then went into a self-imposed social media exile and made no public appearances for some time. 

In July, Lena and Jenna announced they would be ending their producing partnership as they prepared for the debut of their new HBO show, Camping.    

Called it quits: In July, Lena and Jenna announced they would be ending their producing partnership as they prepared for the debut of their new HBO show, Camping

Called it quits: In July, Lena and Jenna announced they would be ending their producing partnership as they prepared for the debut of their new HBO show, Camping

Called it quits: In July, Lena and Jenna announced they would be ending their producing partnership as they prepared for the debut of their new HBO show, Camping

 

  

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