Ruby Rose Reveals Horrifying Conditions on Batwoman Set

[BettyNewbie]

A bomb has been dropped.💣

Former Batwoman star Ruby Rose opened up about the horrific working conditions she faced on the CW Arrowverse series, which she exited after one season. CBR reached out to The CW for comment but has not received a response as of publication.

"Enough is enough," Rose wrote on Instagram, calling out showrunner Caroline Dries and Bertalnti Proudctions' Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter. "I'm going to tell the whole world what really happened on that set. [Former Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman] Peter Roth, you are first up. You are chapter one. not sure if you left after getting promoted to the highest position because you couldn't stop making young women steam your pants, around your crotch while you were still wearing said pants or if you left after putting a private investigator on me who you fired as soon as the report didn't fit your narrative. either way, when it comes to you, there's already an army waiting for u."

Rose went on to share videos from a doctor's office pertaining to the neck injury she suffered while filming Batwoman, which was previously documented to some degree. She also pointed out a major rib injury and a tumor, and shared a video from her neck surgery, writing, "To everyone who said I was too stiff on bawoman, imagine going back to work 10 days after this ... 10 DAYS!!!!!! (or the whole crew and cast would be fired and I'd let everyone down because Peter Roth said he wouldn't recast and i just lost the studio millions (by getting injured on his set) that is be the one who cost so many people their jobs."

Next up, Rose shared a video of a message she delivered to announce she wouldn't be at Comic-Con International: San Diego in 2019. "Imagine having to take a pay cut to play a passion project and being so excited about Comic-Con and then being told they would not adjust the schedule so I could attend... but then saying 'we won't announce it, you have to,'" she wrote.

"So in closing, please to my dear, dear fans stop asking if I will return to that awful show, I wouldn't return for any amount of money nor if a gun were to my head.. NOR DID I QUIT," Rose continued. "I DO NOT QUIT, They ruined Kate Kane and they destroyed batwoman, not me. I followed orders, and if I wanted to stay i was going to have to sign my rights away[...] A crew member got 3rd degree burns over his whole body, and we were given no therapy after witnessing his skin fall off his face but I was the only one who sent him flowers and cards and then were told we had to do a sex scene without a minute to process, we lost 2 stunt doubles, i got cut in the face so close to my eye in a stunt I could have been blind. a woman was left quadriplegic and they tried to blame it on her being on her phone, so much so CW didn't even help her to start with because they needed to 'investigate' so she had to do a go fund me... she's a PA, they work via phones. Her accident occurred because our show refused to shut down when everyone else did because of Covid.

"[Caroline Dries] has no heart and wanted us to finish the season throughout the pandemic and I told her it was a bad idea... i told her everyone was too distracted, constantly checking Covid updates checking on friends and seeing riverdale, the flash and super girl shut down already, i felt something bad would happen and [Dries] maybe visited the set 4 times in a year... UNHEARD OF.."

Rose noted that when Batwoman did finally shut down during the pandemic, it wasn't because of the aforementioned incident that left someone paralyzed (the production assistant was Amanda Smith and, per her GoFundMe page, he was paralyzed from the waist down and not the neck down) but because "the government pulled it." She also discussed how her co-star Dougray Scott "hurt a female stunt double he yelled like a little bitch at women and was a nightmare. He left when he wanted and arrived when he wanted he abused women and in turn as a lead of a show i sent an email out asking for a no yelling policy, they declined.."

Rose's departure from Batwoman was announced in May 2020. At the time, it was described as "a breakup. She wasn't happy working on the show, and did that make her fun to work with? No. So everyone decided it would be in the best interests of the show, and for all concerned, if they parted ways. It just wasn't a good fit."

Days later, Rose made her first public statement regarding her Batwoman exit, writing, "Thank you to the cast, crew, producers and studio. It wasn’t an easy decision but those who know, know... I didn’t want to not acknowledge everyone involved and how big this was for TV and for our community. I have stayed silent because that’s my choice for now but know I adore you all. I’m sure next season will be amazing also. Xxx *hangs up cowl and cape."

Several months later, Rose opened up and explained that a serious back injury, along with the COVID-19 shutdown, weighed heavily on her decision to leave. "Being the lead of a superhero show is tough. [Laughs] Being the lead in anything is tough," she said. "But I think, in that particular instance, it was a lot more difficult because I was still recovering from my surgery. I had my surgery and then 10 days later I went to work, which maybe wasn't the best idea. Most people take about a month or three off before they return to work, so it was definitely made more difficult by that. But as far as being a lead of a show or a film — regardless if it's action or if it's emotional — in whichever ways it's taxing."

"It wasn't so much [the injury], especially because after we wrapped up we didn't get to finish the real finale because of COVID," she added. "You know, you have time in quarantine and sort of isolation to just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do. I think for both [me and the producers], it was a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things. I respect them so much and they've been so respectful to me."

Four years ago, KJ Apa was in a car crash because he fell asleep behind the wheel after a 16 hour work day.

CW shows are cranked out on an assembly line.  They film in Canada to cut costs and skirt US labor laws.  They cut corners in every single way and only care about spitting out new episodes (for social media buzz) as quickly as possible.  The health and safety of the cast and crew is an afterthought.

Ruby Rose can't be the only one with a story to tell.  I hope more people come out in support of her.

[Tim]

Warner Bros. TV Hits Back

Warner Bros. Television, the studio behind the CW drama Batwoman, has released a strongly worded statement in response to former star Ruby Rose’s scathing attack on the show, its producers and talent as well as the studio’s former top executive this morning. In the statement, Warner Bros. TV corroborates Rose’s claim that they were fired from the show, but calls Rose’s account “revisionist history” and says that the action was the result of an internal probe into “multiple complaints about workplace behavior” against the actor. Such an investigation into Rose’s behavior on Batwoman had long been rumored but not officially confirmed until today.

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.

And they're saying that Ruby was the cause of the trouble!

We might have a "He said, she said" situation here.

[Trinity]

So glad I quit this show, after the way they f**k over Kate Kane last season, I now hate the showrunner, Caroline, even more now.

Does anybody want to bet what she put the character of Kate through in writing last season, was her way of taking her anger out on Ruby Rose?

Of course, none of the current stars on Batwoman will speak out and risk losing their job. Don't expect anybody to back up Ruby. F**k this show.

Of course, Warner Bros. is gonna bite back, and defend and say they fired her. This is Ray Fisher all over again.

I've heard rumors for a while, about CW shows, I think Supergirl and Flash have I won't be surprised had this. It won't surprise me, it's why Melissa quit Supergirl and Stephen with Arrow.

[BettyNewbie]

This is probably relevant.  Back in 2020, Stephen Amell literally suffered a panic attack midway through an interview:

"Arrow" star Stephen Amell revealed in a tweet this weekend that he recently suffered a "full on" panic attack during a podcast interview about the end of his hit superhero TV show.

The 38-year-old star sat down with Michael Rosenbaum, the host of the podcast “Inside of You,” and halfway through, started to experience an anxiety attack.

“He was talking about life and he just seemed like, he was just finishing up season eight of 'Arrow,' he looked a little tired … and I could just tell something was a little off,” Rosenbaum said in his introduction to the podcast. “You look at him and you think, 'This is just the perfect human being' … but things start to unwind.”

At the beginning of the interview, Rosenbaum, an actor who starred in the superhero TV series "Smallville," chatted with Amell about mental health. Amell mentioned he had cried twice that day and said he was worried he would cry during their conversation.

“I’ve really really been struggling with the end of the show,” he said. “I’m mentally exhausted.”

He said his wife even made him go to the doctor before the podcast taping because he was so down.

“Couple weeks ago … my family was going out to Palm Springs and I just looked at my wife and I’m like, ‘I can’t even get myself off the ground right now,’” he said. “Laid on the couch for two days, didn’t eat.”

He added he needed to mentally reset and wished he had taken a vacation without his phone after the show wrapped up.

“I just need a f-- break,” he said. “I want to be a dad, I want to be a husband and I don’t even really want to talk to my friends that much. I just need a break.”

After explaining his mental health struggles, he started to have a panic attack during the interview. Amell said he was feeling hot and added that he might be sick.

"I'm not feeling well at all,” he said. “I think I just got to go. I just kind of want to walk, do you mind? I just need fresh air.”

Rosenbaum explained Amell could have canceled the rest of the interview, but insisted on coming back to finish two weeks later.

“As much as he plays a superhero on TV, you know, we’re human beings and I commend him for coming back,” Rosenbaum said. “It was a little crazy.”

In the follow-up chat, Amell recounted walking home from the podcast in the cold.

“I just wanted to listen to a podcast by myself and walk,” Amell explained. He added he knew there was nothing physically wrong with him, but mentally he was struggling with the end of “Arrow.”

“The leaving of the show combined with just not really breaking away from it in my life — just in terms of getting back into Los Angeles — it was like I needed this clean break,” he said. “I needed to go on a trip, I needed to drop my phone … I just hadn’t disconnected.”

He said he should have just canceled the interview with Rosenbaum, but he had planned to promote a movie he starred in called “Code 8.” Amell explained he’d been triggered by their conversation about mental health and his trip to the doctor earlier that day.

“In fact, nothing was f-- wrong with me, and that’s when you have that realization where you go, ‘Oh my God, this is in my head,’” he explained. “I’d rather them tell me, ‘No no no, you need to have your spleen removed’ … but no there was nothing.”

He said he’s been working on self-care in the weeks since.

“I took real stock in the fact that I was taking a break and I really needed to,” he said. “You want to fix it immediately but that’s not the way it works.”

Amell posted on Twitter Sunday about the podcast to promote it and said he’s feeling much better.

“I was in a really bad spot and I’m happy to report that I’m doing much better,” he said.

This is not normal.  What in the world kind of filming schedule did the CW have him on?  Was he getting any rest?🤨

Starting to look like this is a running theme with CW shows...

[Trinity]

Thanks, Betty, this really is a running theme for CW shows. I can see why so many actors refuse to sign second contracts, or get written off often, and want to return back to America and be with their families.

Now, being away I get, but I think the filming schedule is just too much, and too insane.

I doubt any of these producers care, it's all about the money.

CW shows need to be less than 20-22 episodes. About 13-15 episodes like Legends of Tomorrow does. The actors need it for their health and well-being.

[BettyNewbie]

Oct 20, 2021 18:03:59 GMT -5 Trinity said:

Thanks, Betty, this really is a running theme for CW shows. I can see why so many actors refuse to sign second contracts, or get written off often, and want to return back to America and be with their families.

Now, being away I get, but I think the filming schedule is just too much, and too insane.

I doubt any of these producers care, it's all about the money.

CW shows need to be less than 20-22 episodes. About 13-15 episodes like Legends of Tomorrow does. The actors need it for their health and well-being.

"It's all about the money" pretty much sums it up.  That, and social media attention.🙄  Since the CW is a small low-rated network, it's heavily reliant on Twitter buzz to advertise its shows.  This is why their shows are all reboots/spinoffs/adaptations (easy to advertise), this is why their shows all revolve around shipping and relationship drama (Twitter fans love it), and this is why their seasons are so long with few breaks (keeps people talking). 

And, since the actors on these shows are mostly lower-profile and don't have much clout in Hollywood, the network feels it can get away with treating them however it wants.  Many of them wouldn't have work if not for the CW.🙁

[Tim]

And, since the actors on these shows are mostly lower-profile and don't have much clout in Hollywood, the network feels it can get away with treating them however it wants. Many of them wouldn't have work if not for the CW.

And that's how the cookie crumbles, I'm afraid,  They have to go where the work is.

[Trinity]

Oct 20, 2021 20:04:51 GMT -5 BettyNewbie said:

Oct 20, 2021 18:03:59 GMT -5 Trinity said:

Thanks, Betty, this really is a running theme for CW shows. I can see why so many actors refuse to sign second contracts, or get written off often, and want to return back to America and be with their families.

Now, being away I get, but I think the filming schedule is just too much, and too insane.

I doubt any of these producers care, it's all about the money.

CW shows need to be less than 20-22 episodes. About 13-15 episodes like Legends of Tomorrow does. The actors need it for their health and well-being.

"It's all about the money" pretty much sums it up.  That, and social media attention.🙄  Since the CW is a small low-rated network, it's heavily reliant on Twitter buzz to advertise its shows.  This is why their shows are all reboots/spinoffs/adaptations (easy to advertise), this is why their shows all revolve around shipping and relationship drama (Twitter fans love it), and this is why their seasons are so long with few breaks (keeps people talking). 

And, since the actors on these shows are mostly lower-profile and don't have much clout in Hollywood, the network feels it can get away with treating them however it wants.  Many of them wouldn't have work if not for the CW.🙁

Yeah, seems that way. 

I feel that because its a smaller network, it's easier to take advantage of new actors, or ones who just are looking for acting roles. The network really does use POC, being woke and such to try and use that as a way to say they are progressive and care about diversity when behind the scenes, its still toxic as ever. 

[SpnFanJackie]

Poor Ruby. WB really doesn't care, the whole company has been mistreating its stars for years.

And I'm not surprised, about Caroline Dries, she had a bad reputation going back to her Vampire Diaries Days. Honestly, they need to take better care of their actor's wellbeing, and Dries needs to get the boot.

I don't think anybody from the Batwoman cast still on the show will come forward to her side, as they won't risk their job, and will stay silent.

I wonder how long until we hear about something like this on Supergirl, It won't surprise me we do once the show ends in a few weeks, I've heard rumors for years about that set having issues behind the scenes.

But, I get why so many wanting work, take these roles on CW shows. I can see why so many of the older actors take less demanding roles on CW, and only want parts that only see them working once or twice a week and are supporting.

I do wonder what this will do to the show moving forward, its already barely hanging on, and ratings are tanking.

[Melinda Halliwell]

This is shocking to hear but not surprising really considering what happened with Stephen Amell and why Arrow ended then.

Networks really need to take better care of their stars otherwise they'll have no one working for them thus not making any money obviously or no viewers watching naturally.

People like Ruby need to tell their working experiences so new actors know what to stay clear of when applying for auditions.

This has certainly made me question whether to continue watching Batwoman myself knowing what I do and just not view season 3 at all.

I'm glad S&L's not produced by the CW and that no onset stories like this have come out yet.

I wonder what Walker and Legends are like because I wouldn't wanna hear things about them making me think whether I'd stop watching them or not obviously.

Various heads need to be held accountable for accidents that happen onset if working conditions aren't met but the problems with big money firms like the CW and Disney is their bank accounts are so dense they can just pay anyone off from saying anything bad about them which is wrong in my eyes I think.

[BettyNewbie]

Oct 21, 2021 5:28:14 GMT -5 Trinity said:

Yeah, seems that way. 

I feel that because its a smaller network, it's easier to take advantage of new actors, or ones who just are looking for acting roles. The network really does use POC, being woke and such to try and use that as a way to say they are progressive and care about diversity when behind the scenes, its still toxic as ever. 

The "woke" stuff is just more advertising.🙄  The network knows that casting POC (or at least, pretending to cast POC) in roles gets them instant buzz on social media.  Half of people will praise it as "groundbreaking diversity," while the other half will whine about "evil PC SJWs," and the CW doesn't care as long as people are talking about its shows.

Before she even started filming the show, Ruby Rose was bullied off of Twitter by Batwoman fans angry at her casting.  And, the CW didn't do a damn thing to defend her or protect her.  Why?  Because, to them, any publicity is good publicity.

Oct 21, 2021 5:50:38 GMT -5 SpnFanJackie said:

Poor Ruby. WB really doesn't care, the whole company has been mistreating its stars for years.

And I'm not surprised, about Caroline Dries, she had a bad reputation going back to her Vampire Diaries Days. Honestly, they need to take better care of their actor's wellbeing, and Dries needs to get the boot.

I don't think anybody from the Batwoman cast still on the show will come forward to her side, as they won't risk their job, and will stay silent.

I wonder how long until we hear about something like this on Supergirl, It won't surprise me we do once the show ends in a few weeks, I've heard rumors for years about that set having issues behind the scenes.

But, I get why so many wanting work, take these roles on CW shows. I can see why so many of the older actors take less demanding roles on CW, and only want parts that only see them working once or twice a week and are supporting.

I do wonder what this will do to the show moving forward, its already barely hanging on, and ratings are tanking.

The CW treats these shows as an assembly line.  If they lose one, they'll just greenlight another.  If they lose one actor, they'll just hire a replacement.  They literally don't give a damn.

Not to say that the big networks are perfect, but there's a reason why the CW is considered a laughingstock next to them.😑  You can tell that the network has no budget and is constantly cutting corners on its shows.  And, that corner-cutting is creating dangerous working conditions for the cast and crew members.  Terrible.

Oct 21, 2021 6:31:03 GMT -5 Melinda Halliwell said:

This is shocking to hear but not surprising really considering what happened with Stephen Amell and why Arrow ended then.

Networks really need to take better care of their stars otherwise they'll have no one working for them thus not making any money obviously or no viewers watching naturally.

People like Ruby need to tell their working experiences so new actors know what to stay clear of when applying for auditions.

This has certainly made me question whether to continue watching Batwoman myself knowing what I do and just not view season 3 at all.

I'm glad S&L's not produced by the CW and that no onset stories like this have come out yet.

I wonder what Walker and Legends are like because I wouldn't wanna hear things about them making me think whether I'd stop watching them or not obviously.

Various heads need to be held accountable for accidents that happen onset if working conditions aren't met but the problems with big money firms like the CW and Disney is their bank accounts are so dense they can just pay anyone off from saying anything bad about them which is wrong in my eyes I think.

I really hope that this blows up into something bigger and the CW is held accountable.  Profit should not come at the expense of the health and safety of the people working on your shows.

[Tim]

Sounds like what happened on the set of Charmed, twenty years ago, with Kernus.

Of course, Social Media didn't exist in those days, so the stories didn't get out like they do now.

[Dark Avenger]

These toxic showrunners need to be gone, honestly, CW needs to clean house. So many horror stories and it goes all the way back to The WB, like with Buffy, Charmed, and One Tree Hill. And Supergirl was a CBS show produced for CBS and filmed in LA, and I hear rumors of this set being unpleasant, but again, I never believed it when someone posts it online socials, but maybe there's some truth to it, and the cast members who bailed, it has nothing to do with the move from LA to Canada, but the conditions with CW versus CBS, and its not worth it. The reboot Charmed also has some issues, and Macy's actress quit. 

If this keeps up, and more comes out for many CW shows, I worry the network might not survive in the next five years. If so, they'll likely just ship off shows like Superman and Lois or Walker for instance to streaming or something.

It's so sad, people are having a go at Ruby for coming out now with this. It's so obvious her NDA and gag order is up, so she can tell the truth now. We all know, none of the cast will come out and support her, as they don't want to risk their jobs. Caroline Dries needs to be fired. But if this blows up, Batwoman might not survive, its already on shaking grounds, and the ratings are so bad, can they really repair it, even if they hire a new showrunner. Of course, WB and CW will do damage control and deny what Ruby says. But the crew member who got injured there is real proof, so how on earth can they get around that for too long.

If this was twenty years ago like Tim said when we had no social media. Different story, with Charmed, and what might have happened if Connie and or Shannen came out against Kern. There's a chance, Holly who was threatening to quit after Shannnen's firing might have gone to social media, to express her views more openly. Kern might have been fired, and Nell would have been hired as showrunner, as was said in her book, that we learned, but Kern decided to stay.

[Tim]

If Social Media had existed twenty years ago, like it does now, what happened on Charmed would have come out.  Someone would have gone on Facebook or Twitter and spilled all.