Dunham apologises for defending Girls writer accused of sexual

Image
Press Trust of India Los Angeles
Last Updated : Nov 19 2017 | 11:48 AM IST
Lena Dunham has apologised for her initial defense of Murray Miller, the "Girls" writer accused of sexual assault by actor Aurora Perrineau.
News of the accusations broke on Friday and, Dunham and "Girls" co-showrunner Jenni Konner issued a statement supporting Miller.
"While our first instinct is to listen to every womans story, our insider knowledge of Murray's situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 per cent of assault cases that are misreported every year," they had said in a statement.
However, her defense of Miller provoked backlash on social media, with many pointing to an August tweet of Dunham's, where she wrote: "Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch. Things women don't lie about: rape."
Dunham posted a lengthy statement on Twitter to apologise for her initial defense of Murray.
"Every woman who comes forward deserves to be heard, fully and completely, and our relationship with 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 apologise to any women who have been disappointed," she wrote.
Dunham said she never thought that she would ever issue a statement publically supporting someone accused of sexual assault, but she "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.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 19 2017 | 11:48 AM IST

Next Story