“Girls” creator and star Lena Dunham is speaking out in defense of Murray Miller, a former executive producer and writer on her HBO comedy accused of raping underage actress Aurora Perrineau.
“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,” Dunham said through spokesperson. The statement was cosigned by her “Girls” showrunner Jenni Konner.
“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 continued.
Perrineau, who starred in Jennifer Lawrence’s “Passengers” and is the daughter of actor Harold Perrineau, filed a police report on Friday saying she did not consent to sex with Miller in 2012 when she was 17.
“He was flirting with me. I told him repeatedly that I was 17 years old,” Perrineau said in the statement.
The actress was with two friends, she said, and Miller asked one of them for a ride home “because he was drunk,” and the group agreed. Miller was 35 at the time.
“At some point, I woke up in Murray’s bed naked. He was on top of me having sexual intercourse with me. At no time did I consent to any sexual contact with Murray,” she said in the statement.
Miller denied the accusations through an attorney, saying his team had “gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims” and “looks forward to sharing all evidence and information with any and all authorities seeking the truth in this matter.”
Miller’s attorney also said Perrineau’s team sought “substantial monetary damages” for the incident, a charge the Perrineau family vehemently denies.
“At no time have we ever asked Murray Miller for $1. There was never a demand for money ever made from anyone on behalf of Aurora or our family,” Brittany Perrineau told TheWrap.
Read the entire statement from Dunham and Konner:
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% 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.