Note: This article contains references to sexual assault that readers may find disturbing.
Katy Perry is the subject of a police investigation in Australia, after the actor Ruby Rose alleged the singer sexually assaulted her at a Melbourne nightclub in 2010. Perry’s representatives have denied the claim, Variety reports.
On Sunday night (April 12), in posts on Threads that have since been deleted, Rose responded to a Complex story about Perry’s reaction to Justin Bieber’s Coachella set by writing, “Katy Perry sexual assaulted me at spice market nightclub in Melbourne. Who gives a shit what she thinks.”
She followed it up with replies elaborating on the alleged incident, saying she was in her early 20s at the time. “She saw me ‘resting’ on my best friends lap to avoid her and bent down, pulled her underwear to the side and rubbed her disgusting vagina on my face until my eyes snapped open and I projectile vomitted on her,” Rose wrote. Rose went on to claim that Perry subsequently agreed to help her secure a U.S. visa.
In a statement to Variety after Rose’s posts, a representative for Perry said, “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.”
In her initial posts, Rose said she would not file a police report but was happy to contest a lawsuit if Perry brought one. On Tuesday night, however, she said she had “finalized all of my reports” to police and would no longer be able to “comment, repost, or talk publicly about any of those cases, or the individuals involved.”
In a statement to Pitchfork, the Victoria police department wrote, “Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) detectives are investigating a historical sexual assault that occurred in Melbourne in 2010. Police have been told the incident occurred at a licensed premises in Melbourne’s CBD. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
Pitchfork has emailed representatives for Perry and Rose for comment.
If you or someone you know has been affected by inappropriate sexual behavior, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN Hotline
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
http://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741
