Police in Australia are investigating claims that Katy Perry sexually assaulted actress Ruby Rose during a night out at a Melbourne nightclub in 2010, a police spokesperson confirmed to Rolling Stone.
“Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) detectives are investigating a historical sexual assault that occurred in Melbourne in 2010,” a spokesperson for the Victoria Police said in a statement on Wednesday. “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.”
A representative for Perry did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment, but the singer previously denied Rose’s claims earlier this week. “The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous reckless lies,” a spokesperson for Perry told Rolling Stone on Monday.
Rose first made the accusations against Perry on Sunday, posting on Threads that the “California Girls” singer had “pulled her underwear to the side and rubbed her disgusting vagina on my face,” while they were clubbing at Spice Market, a since-closed popular nightclub in downtown Melbourne.
Rose — who is Australian — said she had taken steps to file a police report and, on Tuesday, provided an update. “As of this afternoon, I have finalized all of my reports. This means I am no longer able to comment, repost, or talk publicly about any of those cases, or the individuals involved,” she wrote.
She added, “This is a standard request from the police and in many ways, quite the relief. I can start the healing process now.” (A representative for Rose did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.)
In her social media posts, Rose did not pinpoint the exact date of the alleged assault, but acknowledged it had occurred more than a decade ago. Reports from Australian news outlets place Perry and Rose spending time together and hitting up the popular nightclub Spice Market in downtown Melbourne in August 2010. Rose said she possessed corroborative photos and that the encounter was witnessed by numerous people.
The actress claimed she hadn’t shared the full scope of her experience, in part, because Perry had written letters of recommendation for Rose that helped her secure a visa to come to the United States. In 2013, Rose starred in the breakout Netflix series, Orange is the New Black. “I told the story publicly but changed it to be a ‘funny little drunk story’ because I didn’t know how else to handle it,” Rose said. “Later she agreed to help me get my US visa. So I kept it a secret.”
“I was only in my early 20s,” Rose added. “I’m now 40. It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly. 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.”
