Richard Shotwell/Invision/APLena Dunham—actress, author, filmmaker, provocateur—admits that comparing Judd Apatow's fervent distaste for Bill Cosby to someone who's "obsessed with the Holocaust" wasn't one of her better bon mots.
In a recent interview for Timeout New York, the Girls star was asked about Apatow becoming sort of an unofficial spokesman for those who can't stand to see the former sitcom star performing and going about his business as usual in the wake of so many women claiming that Cosby either sexually assaulted them or attempted to do so.
And Dunham was all for Apatow banging the drum out of respect for any and all alleged victims of sexual abuse.
"The lone voice, the lone male voice, the fact that Judd is such a comedy fan," Dunham said. "Like Judd's whole DNA is a commitment to other comedians. You know, Judd was also one of the first people ever to speak out against Woody Allen. Before any of this happened, he was like, 'Sorry, Woody Allen marrying his daughter is creepy and it's stopped me from liking his movies.' Judd—he's not moralistic, but he has a strong sense of morality, especially as a father of daughters. He is the most deeply appropriate male I have ever engaged with."
Responding to the interviewer saying that she had heard some people call Apatow "obsessed" for going after Cosby so vehemently, Dunham replied, "It's sort of like saying someone's obsessed with the Holocaust. It's not 'I'm so angry about Hulk Hogan's sex tape.'
"This is a huge issue, and it speaks to the way that we abuse power and the way that celebrity allows for injustice. Everyone else has gone, 'Let's hope it's not true.' Chris Rock, who's an incredible guy and who has a strong sense of social justice, has basically said, 'We'll see.'"
So...because such statements tend to get picked apart, Dunham got a jump on damage control today.
"Very excited about my pop art Time Out NY cover, photo by Danielle Levitt and popification by Chad Silver...My best friend and partner @campsucks [Jenni Konner] interviewed me and it was a ball," the Not That Kind of Girl author captioned some Warholian images.
"However, I feel I didn't properly express my respect & passion for Karen O. and Danny DeVito," she added, referring to a couple of perfectly congenial references made about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer and the actor, respectively. "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."
Her preemptive shush comes just as The Hollywood Reporter says that Dunham has added a crisis-management expert and more PR heavyweights to her team.
According to THR, Smith & Co.'s Judy Smith—the inspiration for Scandal's Olivia Pope—has signed the outspoken 28-year-old as a client, as has PMK-BNC chair and CEO Cindi Berger.
Hey, with great success comes great scrutiny. Sounds as though Dunham is shoring up her defenses, just in case.