Ruby Rose Leaves Twitter Amid ‘Batwoman’ Casting Backlash

Last week the CW announced that Australian actress Ruby Rose would be cast as the lead in their upcoming Batwoman series. Unfortunately, the news of the Orange is the New Black star’s casting was met with a flurry of backlash on social media.

Batwoman, who has been portrayed as an openly LGBTQ character since a mid-2000s reboot of the DC comic, is also Jewish. While many fans applauded the news of an openly gay superhero set to hit the small screen, others sounded off on Rose’s casting with #RecastBatwoman for reasons ranging from Rose not being the right LGBTQ actor to calls for a Jewish actor to land the role.

The Bat is out of the bag and I am beyond thrilled and honored. I’m also an emotional wreck.. because this is a childhood dream. This is something I would have died to have seen on TV when I was a young member of the LGBT community who never felt represented on tv and felt alone and different. Thank you everyone. Thank you god.

A post shared by Ruby Rose (@rubyrose) on Aug 7, 2018 at 10:53am PDT

Rose took to Twitter to fire back, before eventually shutting down her account.

“Where on earth did ‘Ruby is not a lesbian therefore she can’t be Batwoman’ come from?” Rose tweeted. “[It] has to be the funniest most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read. I came out at 12? And have for the past 5 years had to deal with ‘she’s too gay.’ How do y’all flip it like that? I didn’t change.

“When women and when minorities join forces we are unstoppable, when we tear each other down it’s much more hurtful than from any group,” Rose continued. “But hey/ love a challenge I just wish women and the LGBT community supported each other more.”

Despite the petulant backlash, Rose is set to assume the role of Kate Kane/Batwoman when the CW series hits television screens late 2019/early 2020.

Image via Flickr/Andrew Kneebone