What Really Happened Between Ruby Rose and Katy Perry? What We Know So Far
Ruby Rose accuses Katy Perry of sexual assault during a Melbourne night out 20 years ago, laying out the allegation in a series of Threads posts and saying she was in her early 20s and threw up afterward.
This blew up fast. Ruby Rose went on Threads and accused Katy Perry of sexually assaulting her at a Melbourne nightclub almost 20 years ago. Perry flatly denies it. Here is what Rose actually said, what Perry fired back, and how it escalated to the police inside of a day.
How this started
On April 12, Ruby Rose posted on Threads after seeing people share a clip of Katy Perry reacting to Justin Bieber's 2026 Coachella set. In the clip, Perry joked about Bieber's on-screen YouTube scroll: 'Thank God he has [YouTube] premium. Don't wanna see no ads.'
Rose chimed in to say she did not care what Perry thought about Bieber's set, then alleged something much bigger: that Perry assaulted her two decades ago in Melbourne, back when Rose was in her early 20s.
What Rose says happened
According to Rose, the incident took place at Spice Market nightclub in Melbourne. She says Perry assaulted her while Rose was resting on a friend's lap to avoid her, claiming Perry bent down, moved her underwear aside, and rubbed her genitals on Rose's face. Rose says she snapped awake and immediately threw up on Perry. She says she later turned the story into a 'funny little drunk story' in public because she did not know how else to process it.
Rose also says she stayed quiet because Perry allegedly offered to help her get a U.S. visa. She added that she has photos, that it happened in public, and that multiple people witnessed it. Rose hinted at more history between them, saying there was psychological manipulation tied to the period leading up to Perry's breakout hit 'I Kissed a Girl' in 2008. When a Threads user joked, 'She kissed a girl and you didn't like it?', Rose replied that the accusation was about far more than a kiss.
In one of her posts, Rose explained why she is speaking now after years of keeping it to herself:
'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.'
Police or no police?
At first, Rose said she was not interested in filing a report about this, noting she also had not reported what she described as multiple assaults by adult men. She said Perry was welcome to sue her but argued that would not happen because, in her view, the incident did occur.
Hours later, she changed course and posted that she was walking into a police station to see if any of her experiences could be investigated. She later wrote 'I did it' and confirmed she had left the station after speaking to authorities. Rose said she named people she considers powerful and asked fans for a little mystical backup: 'If any good witches, or spirit folk, feel so generous as to cast a few protective spells around me, it would be greatly appreciated.'
She also told followers she felt relieved, had no expectations about what would happen next, and emphasized that she was not suicidal, did not use drugs, and did not have any health conditions.
Perry responds
On April 13, a representative for Katy Perry issued a statement to Us Weekly firmly denying everything Rose alleged. The rep called the claims 'categorically false' and said spreading them is both dangerous and reckless, adding that Rose has a history of posting serious accusations about various people that those individuals have denied.
'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.'
Timeline at a glance
- April 11, 2026 (Coachella): Justin Bieber performs; Perry jokes online about his on-screen YouTube bit: 'Thank God he has [YouTube] premium. Don't wanna see no ads.'
- April 12: Rose posts on Threads, accuses Perry of assault at Spice Market in Melbourne about 20 years ago; says she threw up on Perry after the incident; says she kept quiet because Perry allegedly offered visa help; claims there are photos and witnesses; initially says she is not filing a report.
- Later April 12: Rose says she is going to the police; later confirms 'I did it' and that she named powerful people; asks for protection and says she is not suicidal and does not use drugs.
- April 13: Perry's rep tells Us Weekly the allegations are 'categorically false' and calls them dangerous, reckless lies, noting Rose's past public allegations that others have denied.
Where this leaves things
Right now, it's Rose's public allegations on Threads versus Perry's categorical denial through a spokesperson. Rose says she has photos and witnesses; she also says she talked to police. No word yet on any formal investigation, lawsuits, or additional on-the-record statements from either side. As with most stories like this, expect more responses, more lawyers, and more parsing of who said what when. I will update as the official pieces move.