Earlier today, Australian actor Ruby Rose took to Instagram stories to make multiple claims of a toxic and unsafe work environment on the set of The CW series “Batwoman,” which is mainly shot in Vancouver and led the star to leave the DC Comics series. The social media posts were aimed at folks such as ‘Batwoman’ showrunner Caroline Dries, executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, and the executives at The CW.
Rose was the main lead on the series playing the role of Kate Kane, aka, Batwoman.
“I will come for you so what happened to me never happens to another person again,” Rose wrote on social media about the show’s producers, also noting that she didn’t leave the show on her own accord. “And so I can finally take back my life and the truth. Shame on you.”
Some of those claims include being forced by the studio to work after a severe neck surgery from an injury Rose suffered while shooting the superhero show and hadn’t yet fully recovered. The injury was indeed documented and made several news headlines at the time.
The Hollywood Reporter has now heard from Warner Bros. Television (parent company of The CW) in response to Rose’s accusations made today and states that the actor was fired due to “workplace behavior” without getting into any serious detail as to what that really means.
“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,” Warner Bros. Television said in a statement.
Javicia Leslie initially replaced Rose ahead of season two in the role of Ryan Wilder, who takes on the mantle of Batwoman. Actress Wallis Day eventually joined the show during season two as a different incarnation of Kate, who had suffered injuries in a plane crash. Either way, it sounds like this war of words is escalating, and we probably haven’t heard the end of it yet. That said, the IATSE strike that almost happened, unsafe work conditions, and overworked crew and cast is a genuine concern at the moment. It’s very possible Rose chose to speak out at this moment, encouraged by some of the real gripes and concerns that the unions have raised of late about safety, fairness, and equity.