A source close to TVLine alleged that Ruby Rose was unhappy working on The CW’s Batwoman and that her unhappiness is likely the real reason that she exited the role after only a single season. When the news broke last night, statements from Rose, the network, and the production indicated that it was Rose’s choice to leave and that the decision was abrupt.
The article stated that while her exit was initially portrayed as Rose’s choice only, in reality, “It wasn’t 100-percent her decision.”
The source continued, saying, “It was 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.”
Before working on the television series, Rose had never had a full-time job on a TV show. She previously worked on multiple films and had a brief arc on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black , but the source said she was unprepared for the long and sometimes grueling hours of working as the lead on a network television series. They also remarked that Rose never adapted to living in Vancouver, Canada, where the series films.
Additionally, the actress sustained a severe injury while performing stunts for an unspecified project last September. She underwent surgery after herniating two discs. Reportedly, she came very close to severing her spinal cord. While it is not clear what film or television project she was working on when the injury occurred, some folks have theorized that it could have happened while she was filming Batwoman and may have contributed to her decision to leave the series behind.
Rose’s initial casting was met with a great deal of backlash on social media by many comic book fans who did not feel she would be a good fit for the role of Kate Kane or Batwoman.
However, as the first season aired, many people warmed to her portrayal and took to Twitter to express their upset over her sudden departure. That said, dozens of users were also happy to learn Rose had left and were looking forward to seeing who the network decided to recast.
Batwoman wrapped its first season with a finale that aired last Sunday night. The show was renewed for a second season several months ago. The sophomore season is set to anchor Sunday nights on The CW in 2021, although that could potentially change depending on how long it takes the producers to recast the titular role.
In a joint statement from Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Prods., the Batwoman producers announced that they would find another actress from the LGBTQ+ community to portray the “famously gay vigilante.”