The L Word's Mia Kirshner: Jenny Schecter 'Is Not Dead'

Through engagements, a quickie Reno wedding, haircuts, coming out, the success of Lez Girls, and some deep personal problems, The L Word's Jenny Schecter was a survivor. She was a survivor of many things, but more specifically, a survivor of sexual abuse. And Mia Kirshner, the actress who rode the roller coaster of Jenny's life for six seasons beginning in 2004, has emphatically rejected the ending the reboot The L Word: Generation Q afforded the character she created.

Spoiler if you have not seen the second episode of Generation Q on Showtime.

The reboot, which features original L Word cast members Jennifer Beals, Kate Moennig, and Leisha Hailey reprising their iconic roles, has offered some insight into what transpired during the series finale in 2009 when Jenny was found floating and dead in Bette (Beals) and Tina's (Laurel Holloman) pool. The entire episode revolved around getting to the bottom of "Who killed Jenny Schecter?" The sixth season was widely panned and even creator Ilene Chaiken had said that it was up to Generation Q showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan to wrap up past stories the way she saw fit.

"It's Marja's world and her show to do with as she wishes. And I just want to say kind of anything can happen. We're living in the reality of The L Word to a large extent," Chaiken has said. "Bette, Shane, and Alice, as you know, are coming back -- those three actors are my partners as well as executive producers on the show, and so we're picking up their lives 10 years later, and any number of other characters can, and I hope, will appear on the show."

During the second episode of Generation Q, which aired Sunday, Bette, who's running for mayor of Los Angeles, shares with her campaign staffer that during the vetting process it will come out that a friend "died by suicide" in her pool.

Ten years later and after much speculation, that's the ending Generation Q writers created for Jenny, and Kirshner, who has gone on to star in TV shows including Defiance and Bloodline, flat-out rejected it in a series of tweets, emphasizing that Jenny, a sexual assault survivor, deserves better. Beyond her long acting career, Kirshner is also an activist who's advocated for LGBTQ rights and who spoke up during the height of the #MeToo movement about her history with sexual harassment.

\u201cNope. 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.\u201d — Mia Kirshner (@Mia Kirshner) 1576536176

Fans on Twitter thanked Kirshner for speaking up on behalf of avoiding harmful tropes often thrust upon survivors of sexual abuse.

\u201c@_bmrios My pleasure. I just found out about what they did with the storyline today, and there is no way that I'm going to stay silent about this.\u201d — Mia Kirshner (@Mia Kirshner) 1576536176

In a follow-up tweet, Kirshner asked, "Would you like to know what actually happened to Jenny?" The question inspired fans to craft happier scenarios for the character. One Twitter user wrote, "Any version of this that ends up with her not being dead is better than what we've got now." And Kirshner concurred.

\u201c@rachelkiley 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.\u201d — Mia Kirshner (@Mia Kirshner) 1576536432

Kirshner reiterated her stance several times before finally posting the following.

\u201c@Bosleybo she ain't dead\u201d — Mia Kirshner (@Mia Kirshner) 1576536432