Updated Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017, 8:02 p.m. EST: Lena Dunham has issued an apology via Twitter for defending her friend and former Girls writer Murray Miller against rape allegations.
Read Dunham’s 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.
Earlier:
In today’s “Some white feminists ain’t shit” news, Lena Dunham has proved once again that she’s a flaming-hot garbage barge of trash after defending a male writer on her defunct HBO series Girls after he was accused of raping a 17-year-old actress.
Girls writer Murray Miller has been accused of sexual assault by actress Aurora Perrineau. The incident allegedly occurred when the actress was 17.
Aurora, the 23-year-old daughter of Lost star Harold Perrineau, stated in a polygraph (that she passed) obtained by The Wrap that she met the writer when she was out with friends drinking. Miller then became drunk and asked her friends for a ride home. Once they arrived at his house, everyone got out and went inside. She says she followed only because she “felt like I had to go along with everyone else.”
“He was flirting with me. I told him repeatedly that I was 17 years old,” she said in the statement.
“At some point I woke up in Murray’s bed naked. He was on top of me having sexual intercourse with me. At no time did I consent to any sexual contact with Murray,” she continued.
Aurora Perrineau filed a report on the alleged incident Friday with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Now, here’s where “Feminism is for white women” comes into play. Just recently, Dunham said that all women should be believed when it comes to accusations of rape. But apparently that doesn’t apply to women who have allegedly been raped by her friends.
Dunham and Girls showrunner Jenni Konner issued a statement defending Miller:
During the windfall of deeply necessary accusations over the last few months in Hollywood, we have been thrilled to see so many women’s voices heard and dark experiences in this industry justified. It’s a hugely important time of change and, like every feminist in Hollywood and beyond, we celebrate. But during every time of change there are also incidences of the culture, in its enthusiasm and zeal, taking down the wrong targets. We believe, having worked closely with him 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. It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all we’ll be saying about this issue.
Miller has also denied the allegations through his attorney, who also issued a statement.
“Mr. Miller categorically and vehemently denies Ms. Perrineau’s outrageous claims,” attorney Don Walerstein said. “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,” the attorney’s statement continued.
Brittany Perrineau, Aurora’s mother, has denied ever asking for money from Miller: “At no time have we ever asked Murray Miller for $1. There was never a demand for money ever made from anyone on behalf of Aurora or our family.”
Of course, this will now play out in the court system, but one has to wonder why Dunham is now rushing to give her friend the benefit of the doubt. So just because he said he didn’t do it, that’s all she needs to believe him? What happened to standing by all women?
But nothing shocks me, especially coming from someone who admitted to fondling her younger sister and inserting objects into her sister’s vagina when she was a kid.