Lena Dunham Has Leapt To The Defence Of A ‘Girls’ Writer Accused Of Sexual Assault
Dunham said she was confident that "this accusation is one of the 3% of assault cases that are misreported every year."
Girls creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner have come to the defence of Murray Miller, a writer and producer on the HBO series, after he became the latest in a long line of men in the entertainment industry to be accused of sexual misconduct.
According to The Wrap, actress Aurora Perrineau filed a report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Friday alleging that Miller raped her in 2012 when she was 17 years old. Miller’s attorney has since denied the allegations on the writer’s behalf, adding that his legal team has “gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims”.
In a statement to Deadline, Dunham and Konner acknowledged the recent wave of accusations that have been leveled against powerful men in Hollywood, while at the same time asserting their belief that Miller has been falsely accused.
“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,” said the duo. “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.”
“Never find out why Lena Dunham is trending” is like Twitter 101 and I keep doing it anyway smh
— Andi Zeisler (@andizeisler) November 18, 2017
“We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller,” they continued. “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% 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.”