“Girls” creator Lena Dunham says she’s sorry for weighing in on a rape accusation levied against a writer on her show.
The writer and actress kicked off a firestorm Friday when she and fellow “Girls” showrunner Jenni Konner insisted that writer and producer Murray Miller had been falsely accused of raping an actress in 2012 when she was 17.
Two days later, Dunham backed off that statement.
“I naively believed it was important to share my perspective on my friend’s situation,” Dunham tweeted Sunday. “I now understand that it was absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement and I am so sorry.”
A representative for Konner did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
The allegation surfaced last week when The Wrap reported that “Passengers” actress Aurora Perrineau had taken her case to police. Perrineau could not be reached for comment this weekend, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to CNN that police are investigating.
Miller’s attorney did not respond to CNNMoney’s requests for comment Sunday. His attorney earlier told Variety that Miller “categorically and vehemently denies Ms. Perrineau’s outrageous claims,” adding that they have gathered “overwhelming evidence” that directly contradict the allegation.
After The Wrap’s story published, Dunham and Konner released a statement to Variety that said their “insider knowledge of Murray’s situation” lead them to believe that “this accusation is one of the 3% of assault cases that are misreported every year.”
“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,” the women said. “We believe, having worked closely with him for more than half a decade, that this is the case with Murray Miller.”
That initial response was swiftly met with backlash online.
“This is Lena Dunham’s main problem: she has acquired the unshakeable idea that her perspective, no matter how ill thought out, is important and must be shared,” tweeted the writer Shon Faye.
“Lena Dunham knows the language of feminism and may very well be a feminist. But the countless times she’s had to apologize for oppressive language and behavior is a real problem,” said writer Evette Dionne. There have been several controversies that have surrounded Dunham.
Others pointed to comments Dunham made in August that appeared to contradict her own statement.
“Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch,” she tweeted at the time. “Things women don’t lie about: rape.”