Australian Police Investigate Katy Perry Over Historical Sexual Assault Allegations

Victoria State Police confirmed on Wednesday that they are investigating a historical sexual assault allegation from 2010 targeting American singer Katy Perry, following a formal complaint filed by Australian actress Ruby Rose. The alleged incident took place at the Spice Market nightclub in Melbourne, according to Rose's now-deleted posts on the social media platform Threads. Rose, who is 40 years old, stated the assault occurred when she was in her early twenties. Perry's representatives have categorically denied the allegations, calling them "dangerous, reckless lies." The police declined to name Perry directly in their statement but confirmed the investigation is active and that further comment would be inappropriate while the case remains ongoing.

Rose described the alleged assault in graphic detail In her posts on Threads, Rose described the alleged incident in explicit terms, writing that Perry saw her resting with her head on a friend's lap, then bent down, pulled her underwear to the side, and rubbed her vagina in Rose's face, causing Rose to vomit. Rose acknowledged that she had previously recounted the episode publicly but reframed it as a "funny drunk story" because she did not know how to process the experience otherwise. She wrote that it took her nearly two decades to speak about the incident directly, adding that this delay illustrates "just how much trauma and sexual assault impacts." Rose also noted that Perry later helped her obtain a United States visa, which she cited as another reason she had not spoken more specifically about the alleged assault earlier. The posts have since been deleted, though several media outlets published screenshots of the content before their removal. „Katy Perry sexually assaulted me at Spice Market nightclub in Melbourne. Who cares what she thinks?” — Ruby Rose via Blick.ch

Perry's team fires back, citing Rose's social media history Perry's representative issued a firm denial in a statement sent to entertainment industry publication Variety, rejecting all of Rose's claims. „The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous reckless lies.” — Perry representative via Variety The statement also pointed to what it described as Rose's pattern of behavior, asserting that 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." Perry's team did not address the specific details of the alleged 2010 incident. The denial was issued before the Victoria State Police publicly confirmed the investigation. Perry, 41, has not made any personal public statement on the matter, with all responses coming through her representative. Victoria State Police identified the unit handling the case as the Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team, according to reporting by The Sun and Blick.ch.

Rose goes silent after finalizing police statements On Tuesday evening local time, Rose posted on Threads that she had completed all her formal statements to police and was therefore no longer permitted to speak publicly about the case or the individuals involved. She described this restriction as a standard police requirement that applies once a complainant has finalized their reports. Rose has since ceased all public commentary on the matter. Sexual assault allegations involving public figures have increasingly been brought forward through social media platforms before or alongside formal legal processes, a pattern that became more prominent following the broader public reckoning with such allegations in entertainment industries in recent years. Historical allegations — those involving incidents alleged to have occurred years or decades before a formal complaint — present particular investigative challenges for law enforcement, including the preservation of evidence and witness availability. Australian state police forces handle sexual assault investigations through specialist units, with Victoria's SOCIT among the more established such teams in the country. Rose is known internationally for her role in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black and for portraying Kate Kane in the Arrowverse television franchise, as well as appearances in films including John Wick: Chapter 2 and Pitch Perfect 3. Perry, born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, rose to global prominence with hits including "I Kissed a Girl" and has been in a publicly acknowledged relationship with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who left office in 2025. Threads The investigation remains active, and no charges have been filed as of the date of the police announcement.