Ruby Rose, who played the lead role of Kate Kane in The CW's 2020 Batwoman series before deciding to step away (or was forced to, depending on who you believe) after the first season, has lashed out at Sydney Sweeney, blaming the Christy star for the movie's dismal box office performance.
Rose revealed that she was attached to play a character named Cherry (possibly a take on Jess Gabor's Rosie) in an earlier version of the project, and had some harsh words for Sweeney and her PR team.
“The original Christy Martin script was incredible. Life changing. I was attached to play Cherry," Rose posted on Threads. "Everyone had experience with the core material. Most of us were actually gay. It’s part of why I stayed in acting. Losing roles happens all the time. For her PR to talk about it flopping and saying SS did it for the ‘people.’ None of ‘the people’ want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us. You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better.”
Rose's perception that Sweeney hates gay people seems to have stemmed from the Madame Web star's "controversial" American Eagle jeans advertisement, which some viewed as promoting white supremacy. Sweeney refused to get drawn into a conversation about the criticism during a recent interview, resulting in even more backlash.
We still don't know the full story behind Rose's Batwoman departure. The actress released a statement after parting ways with the show, but didn't specify why.
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season," said the actress. "This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles. I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success — I am truly grateful.”
The CW, Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions jointly added, "Warner Bros. Television, The CW and Berlanti Productions thank Ruby for her contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best. The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months."
Rose faced a lot of backlash when she was first cast as Batwoman, and while her performance came in for some criticism at first, she did seem to grow into the role as the season progressed and won many detractors over.
Reports like the one below continue to show up, however.