Ruby Rose Alleges Unsafe Work Conditions & Mistreatment On Batwoman, Warner Bros. TV Responds

Ruby Rose has spoken out about their time on Batwoman, ripping Warner Bros. TV and more for unsafe conditions and much more. As you may recall, Rose left the CW series after its first season in a surprising development, with their character of Kate Kane being phased out and Javicia Leslie being cast as a new Batwoman in Ryan Wilder.

There was a lot of speculation as to why Rose exited the show, though both sides claimed at the time that it was an amicable and mutual decision. As Rose explained in posts made to Instagram (per Deadline, that was apparently not the case. The actor specifically tagged showrunner Caroline Dries as well as Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti Productions, who produce the show. They alleged that former WB TV Group Chairman Peter Roth made “young women steam your pants, around your crotch while you were still wearing said pants” and that he set a private investigator on them after and fired the PI “as soon as the report didn’t fit your narrative.”

Rose shared videos from a doctor’s office regarding the neck injury they suffered while filming the series, which was reported to have had some impact on their exit from the show. They wrote:

“To Everyone who said I was too stiff on Batwoman, imagine going back to work 10 days after this…10 DAYS!!!!!! or the whole crew and cast would be fired and I’d let everyone down because Peter Roth said he wouldn’t recast and I just lost the studio millions (by getting injured on his set) that is, be the one who cost so many people their jobs”

Rose went on to share a video message that they had sent to announce that they wouldn’t be at San Diego Comic Con 2019 and said:

“Imagine having to take a pay cut to play a passion project and being so excited about Comic-Con and then being told they would not adjust the schedule so I could attend…but then saying ‘we won’t announce it, you have to.’

They closed out the original series of posts by alleging that they did not quit the role and that they wouldn’t return for “any amount of money nor if a gun were to my head.” They went on to make allegations of injuries on set, writing:

”A crew member got 3rd degree burns over his whole body, and we were given no therapy after witnessing his skin fall off his face but I was the only one who sent him flowers and cards and then were told we had to do a sex scene without a minute to process, we lost 2 stunt doubles, i got cut in the face so close to my eye in a stunt I could have been blind. a woman was left quadriplegic and they tried to blame it on her being on her phone, so much so CW didn’t even help her to start with because they needed to ‘investigate’ so she had to do a go fund me… she’s a PA, they work via phones. Her accident occurred because our show refused to shut down when everyone else did because of Covid.

[Caroline Dries] has no heart and wanted us to finish the season throughout the pandemic and I told her it was a bad idea… i told her everyone was too distracted, constantly checking Covid updates checking on friends and seeing riverdale, the flash and super girl shut down already, i felt something bad would happen and [Dries] maybe visited the set 4 times in a year… UNHEARD OF.. but in those 4 or 5 visits she decided she could tell me she knew my injury happened on set so I could comply with the PI, yet later denied it entirely and said it happened during a yoga lesson lol I don’t do yoga.”

Rose acknowledged reports that they “fought people on set,” noting that those happened “because I wanted safety” and that they shut down after the PA’s injury only because “the government pulled it.”

They went on to allege that Dougray Scott, who played Kate’s father on the show, “hurt a female stunt double he yelled like a little b**ch at women and was a nightmare. He left when he wanted and arrived when he wanted he abused women and in turn as lead of a show I sent an email out asking for a no yelling policy, they declined.”

Rose then said in an update that they spoke out because they were inspired by the current IATSE negotiations and potential strike (averted for now due to the union reaching a deal with studios) over better working conditions, being reminded that “nothing will change if nothing changes and people out there are even more scared than I, have less resources than I and need to know they are not alone.” They shot down the idea that they are doing this because “work has dried up,” stating that “I have declined more films this year than in my whole career.” They also asked people to “leave Javica and other people I didn’t name out of this. She deserves better, and some of the people I have been told are being attacked, are my allies not my enemies.”

Shortly after Rose released the statements, Warner Bros. TV issued a strongly-worded statement acknowledging that Rose was let go:

“Despite the revisionist history that Ruby Rose is now sharing online aimed at the producers, the cast and crew, the network, and the studio, the truth is that Warner Bros. Television had decided not to exercise its option to engage Ruby for season two of Batwoman based on multiple complaints about workplace behavior that were extensively reviewed and handled privately out of respect for all concerned.”

The statement does not address Rose’s specific claims.