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Australian police are investigating Katy Perry over allegations she sexually assaulted actress Ruby Rose at a Melbourne nightclub in 2010 – A police spokesman confirmed this to ROLLING STONE.
“Detectives from the Melbourne Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) are investigating a historic sexual assault that is believed to have occurred in Melbourne in 2010,” a Victoria Police spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday. “Police say the incident occurred at a licensed establishment in Melbourne’s inner city. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Perry’s rep did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Rolling Stone, but the singer denied Rose’s allegations earlier this week. “The claims that Ruby Rose is spreading about Katy Perry on social media are not only completely false – they are dangerous, irresponsible lies,” a Perry spokeswoman told Rolling Stone on Monday.
Rose’s allegations in detail
Rose made the allegations on Sunday, posting on threads that the “California Girls” singer “pulled her underwear aside and rubbed her disgusting genitals in my face” while they were partying at the Spice Market – a now-closed, then-popular club in central Melbourne.
Rose – who is Australian – said she had taken steps to make a report and provided an update on Tuesday. “As of this afternoon, I have completed all of my reporting. This means that I can no longer comment, repost, or speak publicly about these cases or the individuals involved,” she wrote.
She added: “This is a standard police request and in many ways a real relief. I can now begin the healing process.” (A spokeswoman for Rose also did not immediately respond to a request from ROLLING STONE.)
Silent for more than a decade
In her social media posts, Rose did not provide an exact date of the alleged assault, but acknowledged that it occurred more than a decade ago. According to Australian media reports, Perry and Rose spent time together in Melbourne in August 2010 and visited the then popular Spice Market. Rose said she had photos as proof and the incident was witnessed by numerous people.
The actress said she didn’t disclose the full extent of her experience partly because Perry wrote letters of recommendation for her that helped her get a U.S. visa. In 2013, Rose starred in the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. “Although I told the story publicly, I played it down as a ‘funny little drunk story’ because I didn’t know how else to deal with it,” Rose said. “She later agreed to help me with my US visa. So I kept it to myself.”
“I was only in my early twenties,” Rose added. “I’m 40 now. It took me almost two decades to say this publicly. While I’m so grateful to have lived long enough to find my voice, it shows how deep an impact trauma and sexual violence leave. Thank you for seeing me.”
