While our article clearly addressed the ways in which Lena Dunham is supported by a long legacy of white supremacy x white feminism, we wanted to deconstruct the ways in which her apology was abuse and not actually an apology.
CW/TW: mentions of sexual assault in this thread
To recap: Lena Dunham lied about having information which would disprove Aurora Perrineau's allegations of sexual assault against Murray Miller. Perrineau was r/ped by Miller while she was a part of Dunham's show, Girls.
To recap: Lena Dunham lied about having information which would disprove Aurora Perrineau's allegations of sexual assault against Murray Miller. Perrineau was r/ped by Miller while she was a part of Dunham's show, Girls.
Dunham and Jenni Konner issued a statement in support of Miller stating that they believed that Perrineau's allegations were part of the 3% of false r/pe claims. They had no reason to issue a statement like that beyond gaslighting a biracial Black woman who was assaulted at 17.
They failed to protect Perrineau & for an entire year Dunham's statement continued to reverberate & cast doubt against Aurora. Fast forward to this year, and Dunham, for some reason, is invited to write a guest editor letter in The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment.
Rather than passing the mic to the victims of sexual assault who aren't gaslighters of other victims, nor admitted molesters of their own siblings, Dunham took the spotlight and crafted a self-centered apology reminiscent of the way abusers apologize to their victims.
Dunham writes: I didn't have the "insider information" I claimed but rather blind faith in a story that kept slipping and changing and revealed itself to mean nothing at all.
Continued in the image below:
Continued in the image below:
Rather than making sure Perrineau received the space she deserves to have, Dunham kept taking up more space — and it was given to her. It was unethical for THR to allow her to be guest editor for their "women's" issue & publish her letter.
White feminists continue to use the pain fo Black and Brown women for their own growth. They enact violence against us and thank us for making them "better feminists" — that is not an apology, that is emotional abuse.
Dunham is protected by her white femininity but she deserves to be ousted the same way that Weinstein & others were. She has no place in the discourse of surviving sexual assault, she has no place in advocating for survivors.
So what should her apology to Aurora looked like? Well for one, it shouldn't have been a performance, it shouldn't have taken up this much space, it should have been done privately.
The only reason Dunham "apologized" publicly was to create better press for herself and continue to accumulate more career opportunities and wealth. A private apology doesn't do that, a private apology is about the victim, not the abuser.
Now say the apology was private: it should include
"I'm sorry for my actions"
"What I did/said was wrong"
It should express that you understand the impact of your words/actions, and it should seek to make up for them.
"I'm sorry for my actions"
"What I did/said was wrong"
It should express that you understand the impact of your words/actions, and it should seek to make up for them.
Let's think about the financial, judicial and mental health impact of Dunham's statements.
At the very least, she should privately offer to cover any expenses Perrineau may have had to make for therapy as well as part of her legal fees.
At the very least, she should privately offer to cover any expenses Perrineau may have had to make for therapy as well as part of her legal fees.
Reparations are key in this case and Dunham holds a lot of power. She didn't make Perrineau more powerful with her public and embarrassing "apology", she only made herself more public and centered her own rehabilitation.
What should be done in the future? Well #CancelLenaDunham is the only appropriate response to her lies. She has harmed enough people with her feminism wrapped in white supremacy.
Stop centering women like Dunham, there is nothing particularly revolutionary about her work. Invest in queer/trans Black and brown folks who are rarely afforded the same opportunities and space Dunham is.
Protect Black, Indigenous and women of color + non-men when they come forward with their experiences. Tarana Burke's #MeToo was always about the most marginalized & it has expanded (which is good), but we have to center Black & Brown women, femmes, Trans and NB folks.
Publications like THR should stop giving speaking space to Dunham, she doesn't deserve it. Abusers don't deserve platforms and Lena certainly doesn't.
If you have any questions about this thread, please let us know. But we're not here for White Feminist Bullshit, we never have been and this site will always be dedicated to amplifying Black & Brown women, femmes, trans and NB folks. We honor the legacy of our ancestors.
