Lena Dunham has issued a pre-emptive apology for suggesting the storm over Bill Cosby's rape allegations is as significant as the slaughter of millions of Jews.

The actress and TV writer posted a message to her fans promoting an interview appearance - but also tried to defuse any potential rows over suggesting the alleged rapes carried out by the comedian are comparable to the Holocaust.

Dunham, who is courting the limelight to draw attention to the new series of her hit HBO TV series Girls, made the comments while speaking to Time Out New York.

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Apology: Dunham said she shouldn't have compared the outrage of Bill Cosby's alleged rapes to the Holocaust, which killed some 11million people

Cover girl: Dunham, who has the new season of her show Girls to promote, made the questionable comments in an interview with Time Out New York

The questionable comments came in a segment which discussed Dunham's admiration for actor and director Judd Apatow, who has been a staunch critic of Cosby, who has had more than two dozen rape allegations levelled at him.

Responding to the suggestion Apatow is 'obsessed' with the allegations, Dunham said no level of interest is too high for the Cosby situation, which of similar importance to Nazi crimes against humanity.

She said: 'It’s sort of like saying someone’s obsessed with the Holocaust... This is a huge issue, and it speaks to the way that we abuse power and the way that celebrity allows for injustice.'

Comparison: Dunham invoked the Holocaust to illustrate her point that no level of attention is too extreme for the Cosby situation. Pictured are female victims the Auschwitz death camp

She later retracted the sentiment in an Instagram post, which nonetheless mainly encouraged fans to read the piece.

After describing the interview as 'a ball', she said: 'Additionally I'm already aware comparing Bill Cosby to the Holocaust wasn't my best analogy.

'With Love from your special rape-hating Jew friend LENA.'