Why Is Katy Perry Being Investigated?
(Photo: Getty Images)
Singer Katy Perry is reportedly being investigated by Australian police after actor Ruby Rose claimed the singer sexually assaulted her in 2010 at a Melbourne nightclub on social media this week.
The allegations have not been proven in court. Perry denies the claims and a representative has called them “reckless lies.”
Here’s what you need to know.
The allegations were made online
Rose made the allegations on the social platform Threads Monday. They came in response to a story from the music publication Complex about Perry’s reaction to Justin Bieber’s Coachella performance. (Perry spent the weekend posting clips of her Coachella experience with boyfriend, former prime minister Justin Trudeau, on her Instagram.)
“Katy Perry sexual assaulted me at spice market nightclub in Melbourne,” Rose wrote. “Who gives a shit what she thinks.” (She later removed the post.)
In a subsequent post, she detailed the nature of that alleged assault. Later, she indicated she had made a report to police.
“This means I am no longer able to comment, repost or talk publicly about any of those cases, or the individuals involved,” she wrote.
On Wednesday, the Australian outlet The Sydney Morning Herald confirmed that Victoria police are investigating.
“Reckless lies”
Perry has forcefully denied Rose’s allegations. In a statement released to media, a representative for the "Firework" singer said: “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.”
The former manager of the club Perry and Rose reportedly visited more than two decades ago has offered his own recollection of the evening to an Australian newspaper, according to People magazine.
He confirmed their presence at the club but told the outlet he doesn't recall any incident between the two.
On April 14, Perry posted a brief Instagram story message to followers: "i love u."
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Flannery Dean is a writer based in Hamilton, Ont. She’s written for The Narwhal, the Globe and Mail and The Guardian.
