Lena Dunham Defends ‘Girls’ Writer Accused of Rape, Claiming ‘Insider Knowledge’ of the Situation

Following yesterday’s accusation of rape against “Girls” writer/producer Murray Miller, Lena Dunham has rushed to her colleague’s defense. “I believe in a lot of things but the first tenet of my politics is to hold up the people who have held me up, who have filled my world with love,” she tweeted yesterday. Miller was accused of raping actress Aurora Perrineau in 2012, when she was 17 and he was 35. She filed a police report yesterday.

Dunham and “Girls” showrunner Jenni Konner issued a joint statement claiming that their “insider knowledge” of the situation makes them “confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year.”

Here’s Dunham and Konner’s full statement:

“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.”

Dunham’s defense of Miller hasn’t gone over especially well, especially in light of another tweet from earlier this year: “Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch. Things women don’t lie about: rape.”

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