Lena Dunham Apologizes For Defending ‘Girls’ Writer Amid Assault Allegations

Lena Dunham has backed down and apologized for defending Girls writer Murray Miller, who is being investigated for sexually assaulting actress Aurora Perrineau when she was age 17.

Dunham issued a long tweet on Friday supporting Miller, adding Girls executive producer Jenni Konner’s name as another ally of Miller.

“We believe, having worked closely with [Miller] for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller. While our first instinct is to listen to every woman’s story, our insider knowledge of Murray’s situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year.”

After withering criticism, Dunham has had a change of heart. Today, she’s saying via Twitter, “I naively believed it was important to share my perspective on my friend’s situation as it has transpired behind the scenes over the last few months. I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry.”

Her full statement:

As feminists, we live and die by our politics, and believing women is the first choice we make every single day when we wake up. Therefore I never thought I would issue a statement publically (sic) supporting someone accused of sexual assault, but I naively believed it was important to share my perspective on my friend’s situation as it has transpired behind the scenes over the last few months. I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry. We have been given the gift of powerful voices and by speaking out we were putting our thumb on the scale and it was wrong. We regret this decision with every fiber of our being.

Every woman who comes forward deserves to be heard, fully and completely, and our relationship to the accused should not be part of the calculation anyone makes when examining her case. Every person and every feminist should be required to hear her. Under patriarchy, “I believe you” is essential. Until we are all believed, none of us will be believed. We apologize to any women who have been disappointed.

Sgt. Salvador Rios of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s told Deadline that Perrineau filed a sexual assault complaint against Miller at its West Hollywood Station. The case will be turned over the LAPD for an investigation.

Through his lawyer, Miller has denied the allegations.

“Mr. Miller categorically and vehemently denies Ms. Perrineau’s outrageous claims,” attorney Matthew Walerstein said in a statement to Deadline. “After being contacted several weeks ago by lawyers who — on Ms. Perrineau’s behalf — sought substantial monetary damages from him, Mr. Miller’s legal team gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims. Only after her demands for money were rebuffed did Ms. Perrineau go to the police. Mr. Miller looks forward to sharing all evidence and information with any and all authorities seeking the truth in this matter.”

Reached by Deadline, HBO did not have a statement on the matter. Its comedy Girls, from creator-writer-star Lena Dunham, wrapped its six-season run in April.

Before Girls, Miller was a writer-producer on the Fox animated series American Dad! and King of the Hill. He also worked on the network’s mid-2000s Pamela Anderson comedy Stacked.

Perrineau’s credits include Passengers, Jem and the Holograms and some upcoming features. She is the daughter of actors Harold and Brittany Perrineau.

WHERE TO STREAM GIRLS