Last year, Ruby Rose announced she would exit the titular role of the CW’s Batwoman series ahead of its second season. In the months that followed, the situation was elaborated on a bit, with sources indicating it had nothing do with injuries she sustained while on set. In a follow-up, it was suggested she left the role because of the long hours.
Now Rose has revealed she exited Batwoman due to an allergy.
“I did find out that I was allergic to latex,” she said in an interview on the Kyle and Jackie O Show. “I was getting worse and worse, because as you get more contact with it, I guess you get more reactions. I took off the [mask] at the end, and my face was just hives. My throat was all messed up." Rose, who also acted on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, added, “It was like it was out of a scary movie.”
Considering that the majority of superhero shows and movies require their actors to stay in costumes utilizing latex for hours at a time, it’s clear Rose made the right decision. It is a shame, however, as Rose was responsible for bringing the first openly gay superhero lead to the small screen with her depiction of Batwoman, a.k.a. Kate Kane.
In August last year, Rose addressed her exit and expressed regret that she didn’t take more time off to recover following her injury. “I had my surgery and then 10 days later I went to work, which maybe wasn’t the best idea," she said at the time. "Most people take about a month or three off before they return to work, so it was definitely made more difficult by that. But as far as being a lead of a show or a film—regardless if it’s action or if it’s emotional—in whichever ways it’s taxing.”
Following Rose’s departure from Batwoman, the mantle was passed on to a new character terrifically portrayed by Javicia Leslie. The second season started in January 2021 and concluded last month. A third season is on the way and is expected to premiere on Oct. 13.
