The L Word actor Mia Kirshner says Jenny Schecter is ‘not dead’
Mia Kirshner has told the world that Jenny Schecter is “not dead”. (Emma McIntyre/Getty)
Mia Kirshner, the actor who played Jenny Schecter in The L Word, has said that her controversial character is in fact “not dead”.
The show recently returned to screens as The L Word Generation Q, bringing back original characters Bette (Jennifer Beals), Alice (Leisha Hailey) and Shane (Kate Moennig).
In the 10 long years since the end of the show’s original run fans have been trying to deduce who really killed Jenny, after she was found floating in Bette and Tina’s pool in the final episode.
But in the second episode of the reboot on Sunday (December 15), there was a revelation about her mysterious death.
After a past relationship comes back to threaten her campaign for LA mayor, Bette reveals to a campaign staffer that she has other secrets – including that a friend “died by suicide” in her pool.
The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken hired Marja-Lewis Ryan as show runner for the reboot, and previously told NBC that it was up to Ryan to wrap up any unfinished storylines, adding: “It’s Marja’s world and her show to do with as she wishes.”
they rly let us ask “who killed jenny schecter?” for ten years just to casually tell us it was a suicide in the reboot 🥴
— Gabrielle 💬 (@gabalexa) December 17, 2019
Fans were furious about the throwaway line that ended a decade of speculation.
One wrote on Twitter: “They really let us ask ‘who killed Jenny Schecter?’ for ten years just to casually tell us it was a suicide in the reboot.”
But Kirshner, the actress who played Jenny, soon took to social media to respond to the plot twist, telling fans that Jenny is in fact “not dead”.
She wrote on Twitter: “Nope. Jenny is not dead. That’s not the story that needs to be told about a survivor of sexual violence. It’s not a story that can be wrapped up and tied up with a bow. So no, she is not dead.”
Nope. Jenny is not dead. That's not the story that needs to be told about a survivor of sexual violence. It's not a story that can be wrapped up and tied up with a bow. So no, she is not dead.— Mia Kirshner (@msmiakirshner) December 16, 2019
It was revealed in season two of The L Word that Jenny was sexually abused as a child, through a series of flashbacks and dream sequences.
Agree. I heard about her "suicide" today and feel sick that this is how they dismiss the story about a survivor of sexual assault. So no. She's not dead.— Mia Kirshner (@msmiakirshner) December 16, 2019
Kirshner co-founded the AfterMeToo movement in 2018 to advocate for survivors of workplace sexual violence, and she wrote on Twitter that she could not “stay silent” after seeing the what Ryan had done with Jenny’s storyline.
She added: “I heard about her ‘suicide’ today and feel sick that this is how they dismiss the story about a survivor of sexual assault. So no. She’s not dead.”
One fan wrote on Twitter: “I think that Mia Kirshner is trying to say how important is Jenny to all women in this society.
“Cause she was a sexual violence surviver and another violences too, and she was broken. She was a fighter and a patriarchy’s victim. And with a suicide isn’t enough for her character.”
I think that @msmiakirshner is trying to say how important is Jenny to all women in this society. Cause she was a sexual violence surviver and another violences too, and she was broken.She was a fighter and a patriarchy's victim. And with a suicide isn't enough for her character.— Coté (@coteliac) December 17, 2019
Kirshner then asked her followers: “Would you like to know what really happened to Jenny?”
She has not tweeted since, but fans took the opportunity to post their own theories.
One wrote: “She’s not dead, when they took her from the pool to the ambulance she was not covered, that means she’s alive!”
“I’m betting the ‘suicide’ is a set-up for whatever actually happened,” said another. “With Bette and Alice both public figures now, someone will probably dig into what happened to her and unearth a different story before the season’s out.”
