Girls creator and star Lena Dunham has said “every woman who comes forward deserves to be heard, fully and completely”, as she apologised for defending a writer on her show who was accused of sexual assault.

Dunham had been widely criticised for weighing in on allegations made against Murray Miller by actor Aurora Perrineau, who accused Miller of raping her in 2012 when she was 17. Miller has “categorically and vehemently” denied the claim.

In their initial response to the allegations, Dunham and Girls’ executive producer Jenni Konner released a public statement of support for Miller, which read: “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 … We stand by Murray and this is all we’ll be saying about this issue.”

The defence of Murray drew criticism in part because it clashed with Dunham’s public identity, and past statements, as editor of feminist newsletter Lenny Letter.

In August, for instance, she tweeted: “Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch. Things women don’t lie about: rape.”

Things women do lie about: what they ate for lunch. Things women don't lie about: rape. — 💎 Lena Dunham 💎 (@lenadunham) August 4, 2017

Dunham has now apologised for her initial defence of Miller, writing on Twitter: “As feminists, we live and die by our politics, and believing women is the first choice we make every single day when we wake up.



“Therefore I never thought I would issue a statement publicly supporting someone accused of sexual assault, but 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 ... We regret this decision with every fiber of our being.”

She continued: “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. Every person and every feminist should be required to hear her. Under patriarchy, ‘I believe you’ is essential.

“Until we are all believed, none of us will be believed. We apologise to any women who have been disappointed.”

The misstep and subsequent apology are becoming a common cycle for Dunham, as many on Twitter have pointed out. This particular instance has an added racial dimension, with Dunham – who has come under fire in the past for exhibiting a particular brand of “white feminism” – initially defending a white former colleague against the accusation of a woman of colour.

In response, writer Zinzi Clemmons published a statement on social media announcing that she would no longer be writing for Lenny Letter, and encouraging other women of colour to do the same.

“For all you writers who are outraged about what she did, I encourage you to do the same,” she wrote. “Especially women of colour. She cannot have our words if she cannot respect us.”

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

Matthew Walerstein, a lawyer for Miller, told the Press Association the writer “categorically and vehemently” denied the allegation against him and that Miller’s legal team had “gathered overwhelming evidence directly contradicting these false and offensive claims”.

He added: “Mr Miller looks forward to sharing all evidence and information with any and all authorities seeking the truth in this matter.”

• Additional reporting by Press Association