Ruby Rose reveals Batwoman set’s abusive conditions, severe injuries

Ruby Rose, who was a star as Kate Kane Batwoman for a single season in 2019 before exiting the series, published an Instagram story on Wednesday accusing the series’ producers and showrunner of abusive behavior and dangerous onset practices that resulted in crew injuries. Along with detailing the extent of a rib injury she sustained during the shooting of season 1, Rose also calls out a number of other incidents, some reported — like a spinal injury sustained by a production assistant — and others surfacing for the first time, including a story about a stunt person who Rose says got sent home with third-degree burns. Polygon reached out the The CW to get clarification and comment on these incidents but no response was received before publishing.

Rose posts annotations on personal videos where doctors examine her rib injury. She claims that, shortly after undergoing surgery for the issue, producers told her that if she got a proper X-ray, “we wouldn’t make our day,” the phrasing used for completing a day’s production on time and on budget. Rose claims that Peter Roth, producer of the issue, told Rose that he wouldn’t recast her role because she had injured the production. Rose claims that Caroline Dries (showrunner), who only had visited the set four to five times during the first season, later suggested Rose sustained the injury while practicing yoga. “lol I don’t do yoga,” Rose added.

Rose’s accusations specifically call out Roth several times. “You are chapter one,” she writes, “not sure if you left after getting promoted to the highest position because you couldn’t stop making young women steam your pants, around your crotch while you were still wearing said pants or if you left after putting a private investigator on me who you fired as soon as the report didn’t fit your narrative, either way, when it comes to you, there’s already an army waiting for u.”

Rose says that the behavioral problems on the set of Batwoman Management malpractice and cutting corners can lead to injuries for crew members. Besides her own injuries — “the broken neck, “the broken rib split in two,” “the tumor,” and a “cut in the face so close to my eye in a stunt I could have been blind,” as she details in the story — Rose describes a situation in which a crew member’s “whole body” was burned. “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,” she writes, “and then were told we had to do a sex scene without a minute to process.”

Rose mentions in the posts that she witnessed an incident on March 20, 2020. BatwomanProduction assistant, according to reports, was injured in the head by a bucket attached to a lower boom lift. She became paralyzed. “A woman was left quadriplegic,” Rose writes, “and they tried to blame it on her being on her phone.” She claims the accident occurred because the producers of BatwomanIn order to keep the season alive before the mandatory shut-downs, COVID refused to allow the shutdown.

In the post, Rose also describes the personal frustrations that eventually pushed her away from returning to the show, including an insistence by producers to personally explain to fans why she wouldn’t be at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con (due to what she claims was simply an over-demanding work schedule). Rose also had issues with costar Dougray, Scott’s onset behavior. He eventually quit the show after season 2.

“I never raised my voice on set, never have,” writes Rose. “Dougray hurt a female stunt double he yelled like a little bitch at women and was a nightmare. He left when he wanted and arrived when he wanted he abused women and in turn as a lead of a show i sent an email out asking for a no yelling policy, they declined.”

Rose describes Rose Batwoman gig as being a “passion project,” and one that she took a pay cut to live out. Today she said she couldn’t imagine going back to the series.

“I wouldn’t return to that awful show, I wouldn’t return for any amount of money nor if a gun were to my head. I DID NOT STOP. I DON’T QUIT. They ruined Kate Kane and they destroyed batwoman, not me.”

BatwomanThe third season, which features Javicia Leslie playing Ryan Wilder in the title role, premiered October 13.