There are some things apparently Melissa Joan Hart can’t explain, including a rumor about her holding a long-standing grudge against Lena Dunham.
Surely before this weekend, the former teen star and the “Girls” creator have never been mentioned in the same sentence. But, according to the blind item Instagram account Deuxmoi, the two have been “frenemies” for years now.
In an Instagram post shared on Friday, Hart put the rumors to rest after “numerous friends” asked her about their rivalry, insisting that she’s never even met Dunham.
“I’m truly confused. We have no ‘beef’ and as far as I remember we haven’t even had the pleasure of meeting,” she wrote alongside screenshots about the pair’s alleged history. “I’m a fan of Lena’s work and all that she does to support females in our industry and hope to share a latte someday.”
One blind item submitted to Deuxmoi claimed that Hart “has it out” for Dunham, alleging that the two are connected because the filmmaker’s father was close to the creator of Hart’s former Nickelodeon show “Clarissa Explains It All.”
“The dinner party fight about child drag queens was just one piece of the puzzle,” the message read. “Melissa has a knack for alienating people in her life — they disappear like magic.”
A second Deuxmoi tip claimed that Hart had also dodged questions about Dunham during a recent Instagram Live.
Hart insisted that there was no truth behind the speculation, encouraging her followers not to be fooled by “flashy links” that “pretend to give you hot gossip that doesn’t exist.”
“Please be careful not to get caught up in the hateful rhetoric of these sites that promote division and spew crap to make a profit,” she concluded her message alongside the hashtag #MyTedTalk.
Dunham has yet to address the rumors or publicly respond to Hart’s post.
Amanda Edwards via Getty Images
Dunham is no stranger to sparking backlash, but said earlier this year that she’s “respectfully resigned” from being a source of constant controversy.
And, despite a cringey tweet now and then, she’s mostly lived up to her word, dedicating herself to her work as a director, including the medieval coming of age film “Catherine Called Birdy” and the comedy “Sharp Stick,” which were both released this year.
Apart from roles in Lifetime movies, including the upcoming film “Dirty Little Secret,” Hart has largely focused on raising her three children with husband Mark Wilkerson. She rose to fame starring in the Nickelodeon sitcom “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.
