Actress Ruby Rose has publicly accused singer Katy Perry of sexually assaulting her at a nightclub in Melbourne, Australia, nearly 20 years ago. Rose, 40, made the allegation in a series of posts on Threads, Instagram’s text-based platform. Perry’s representatives have firmly denied the claims. The allegation came after Complex Music posted about Perry’s reaction to Justin Bieber’s headlining set at the Coachella music festival in California.
Perry, who attended the event with her partner, former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, had posted a video joking about Bieber’s performance. According to CBC, Rose responded to the Complex post with her accusation, writing, “Katy Perry sexually assaulted me at spice market nightclub in Melbourne. Who gives a shit what she thinks.”
In follow-up posts, Rose gave more details about the alleged incident, which she said took place at the since-closed Spice Market nightclub when she was in her early 20s. She also explained staying silent for so long. Rose wrote that she “told the story publicly but changed it to be a funny little drunk story because I didn’t know how else to handle it.” She added that Perry had later agreed to help her get a U.S. work visa, which led her to keep quiet.
Rose took nearly 20 years to say this out loud, and honestly, that part is not surprising
Perry’s camp responded quickly and strongly. A representative said the allegations were “not only categorically false” but also “dangerous, reckless lies.” The statement also pointed to Rose’s past, saying she “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.”
Medias reached out to Rose’s representatives for comment but had not heard back at the time of publishing. Rose acknowledged the difficulty of speaking about women-on-women sexual abuse, describing it as something that is especially hard to talk about. She said it took her almost two decades to say it publicly and added, “I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice.”
Rose initially said she had no plans to go to the police. She wrote that people do not need others to believe them, they just need to speak the truth for their own well-being. However, she later changed her mind. In another post on Threads, she wrote that she had “just left the police station” and said she would share more about the process once she had recovered her strength.
Australian media had previously reported back in August 2010 that Rose and Perry were seen together at the Spice Market nightclub in Melbourne, which lines up with the timeline Rose described. Rose did not give a specific year for the alleged incident, but she noted she was in her early 20s at the time. She is now 40.
Rose, best known for her role in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, also said she welcomed any legal action from Perry. She claimed there were witnesses and photos from the night in question. It is also worth noting that Perry’s personal life has been in the news lately, after her relationship with Orlando Bloom ended and she began dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Perry has not personally spoken about the allegations publicly. As of now, the matter remains a dispute between Rose’s claims and Perry’s team’s denial. This is not the first time Perry has found herself in a controversial legal dispute either. She has previously pursued legal action against a bedridden veteran for millions, a case that drew significant public criticism.
Published: Apr 15, 2026 08:49 am