- Ruby Rose publicly accused Katy Perry of sexual assault at Melbourne’s Spice Market nightclub, alleging it happened when she was in her early 20s — nearly two decades ago.
- Perry’s representative fired back hard, calling the allegations “categorically false” and “dangerous reckless lies” in a statement to Variety.
- Rose, now 40, said she won’t file a police report but will welcome a lawsuit from Perry, claiming that witnesses and photographic evidence exist.
What started as a Coachella clip quickly turned into one of the year’s most explosive celebrity confrontations. Ruby Rose, the actress best known for Orange Is the New Black and Batwoman, publicly accused Katy Perry of sexual assault on Threads Sunday (April 12, 2026), alleging the incident took place at Melbourne’s now-closed Spice Market nightclub when Rose was in her early twenties.
The trigger? A Complex post highlighting Perry’s quip about Justin Bieber‘s headlining Coachella set — Perry had joked, watching from the crowd with partner Justin Trudeau, “Thank god he has Premium. I don’t wanna see no ads.” Rose’s reply was anything but a music take.
“Katy Perry sexually assaulted me at Spice Market nightclub in Melbourne. Who gives a shit what she thinks.”
From there, Rose opened up further in a series of replies, describing in graphic detail what she alleges happened. She claims Perry spotted her resting on her best friend’s lap to avoid her and then committed the alleged assault — an account that sent the internet into a full meltdown.
Perry’s team did not let the allegation sit. A representative for Perry issued a statement to Variety, and they didn’t mince words: “The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous reckless lies. Ms. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named.”
Rose, now 40, acknowledged the emotional weight of going public. “I was only in my early 20s. I’m now 40. It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly,” she wrote. “Though I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice, it just shows how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes. Thank you for seeing me.”
She also explained why the story stayed buried for so long. Rose had initially told the story publicly after it happened — but reframed it entirely. “After it I threw up on her. I told the story publicly but changed it to a ‘funny little drunk story’ because I didn’t know how else to handle it,” she wrote. Things got more complicated when Perry later helped Rose secure a U.S. visa. “Later she agreed to help me get my US visa. So I kept it a secret. But I DID tell y’all she wasn’t a good person. Instead I got attacked by.. everyone,” Rose wrote.
As for the question of why she hasn’t filed a police report, Rose addressed it head-on — and with some edge. “Yeah, not interested in filing a report over this, not when I haven’t even filed a report for the numerous rapes at the hands of grown men,” she wrote, adding, “She is more than welcome to sue me (she won’t, because it happened, I have photos and it was literally in public and witnessed by multiple people).”
Rose also pushed back on critics who implied a formal complaint was the only valid response. “You’re asking too much of victims to spend 6 years in court reliving their abuse,” she wrote, reflecting on the emotional cost placed on survivors navigating the legal system.
She later, however, updated followers that she intended to take some kind of formal step. “Today I will be walking into a police station to see if any of my experiences can be investigated. I imagine they are past their statute of limitations, but all the more reason to try,” she posted.
Rose also reflected on the particular difficulty of speaking out about woman-on-woman violence. “As a woman, for a myriad of reasons, opening up about W on W violence and sexual abuse seems to be 100 times harder than speaking about the male predators, at least for me,” she wrote. Model Kate Giddings was among those who publicly offered support.
The allegation has also dredged up the pair’s well-documented friction from 2017, when Rose publicly criticized Perry’s music — a feud that some online have tried to use to dismiss the new claim. Rose hasn’t wavered. The denial from Perry’s team is firm. And the internet, for now, has opinions.
Perry has not personally commented beyond her representative’s statement.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
