Lena Dunham’s response to rape allegations against a “Girls” writer is a perfect example of white feminism
Lena Dunham is apologizing yet again for another offensive statement or comment.
The creator and star of HBO’s Girls has apologized for having weighed in on a sexual assault case involving a Black actress and series writer Murray Miller.
Actress Aurora Perrineau — daughter of actor Harold Perrineau — went to police to accuse Miller of committing sexual assault in 2012. Perrineau reported the alleged rape to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department last week, according to The Wrap.
Dunham and her executive producer, Jenni Konner received, major backlash after releasing a statement Friday defending Miller, who “categorically and vehemently” denies the claims. Their statement praised women in Hollywood for speaking out against sexual assault and misconduct, but casted doubt of Perrineau’s claims:
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.
—
Lena Dunham
(@lenadunham) November 17, 2017
“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.”
The statement concluded: “We stand by Murray and this is all we’ll be saying about this issue.”
The two women have been called out for the hypocrisy of their statement, and for daring to cast doubt on a victim’s testimony. Others also pointed out that Dunham, as can be the case with White feminists, was quick to push back against the claims from a Black woman.
Dunham’s discrediting of Perrineau is an example of how women of color who have made accusations of sexual assault are often contradicted and never believed (Lupita Nyong’o for example, was the only one of 79 actress that Harvey Weinstein contradicted when she came forward with her story of sexual misconduct).
Dunham took to Twitter on Saturday evening to apologize for the original statement:
“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.”
Dunham continued: “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 to our being.“
The message concluded: “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. … We apologize to any woman who have been disappointed.”
But many have already been turned off by the original statement, including Zinzi Clemmons, a frequent contributor to Dunham and Konner’s newsletter, Lenny Letter.
“It is time for women of color–black women in particular–to divest from Lena Dunham,” Clemmons writes.
My statement on why I will no longer write for @lennyletter, and the behavior I witnessed firsthand from @lenadunham's friends.
It is time for women of color--black women in particular--to divest from Lena Dunham. pic.twitter.com/dxOWCLhTpA— zinziclemmons (@zinziclemmons) November 19, 2017
Related article: Michelle Obama on sexual misconduct allegations: “There is an ugliness there”
