Ruby Rose has opened up about a traumatic experience from her teenage years that she says left a lasting impact on her life. The actress recalled being accused of murder at 15 after she discovered a badly injured young boy in Australia.
Rose discussed the incident during her September 29 appearance on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Off the Vine podcast. She said she and a childhood friend had stepped outside to smoke their first cigarette when they noticed what initially appeared to be a doll near playground equipment.
The discovery quickly became a terrifying situation. Rose said the child was seriously injured and bleeding, prompting her and her friend to seek help from nearby adults.
Ruby Rose Found the Injured Child When She Was 15
According to Rose’s account, she was attending a gathering in Australia when she and her friend went outside.
They noticed something on playground equipment and initially believed it was a doll. As they got closer, however, they realized it was a young child.
Rose said the boy was approximately four and a half years old and had suffered severe injuries.
She and her friend immediately tried to get help. Rose recalled carrying the boy to a nearby group of adults, where CPR was attempted while an ambulance was called.
Rose initially believed the child might survive after noticing what she interpreted as a breath.
However, his condition later deteriorated. She said she eventually learned that the boy had suffered fatal brain injuries and died in the hospital.
Police Questioned Rose After the Child’s Death
The situation became even more difficult for Rose when police became involved.
She recalled that authorities came to her school to question her about the child’s death. At the same time, rumors began spreading among her classmates.
Rose said she was called a “baby killer” by other students and described the experience as extremely distressing.
At that point, she was a teenager trying to understand why she had suddenly become connected to a child’s death. Reports based on her podcast account say she was eventually cleared after investigators learned more about what had happened.
The Child’s Brother Later Recalled What Happened
Rose said the circumstances surrounding the boy’s injuries eventually became clearer.
According to her account, the child’s older brother had pushed him down a slide. The younger boy became caught on a nail while his brother tried to help him.
Rose said the older brother became frightened after seeing blood and ran away.
She also said the boy’s brother experienced a period of dissociative amnesia and did not remember what had happened for some time.
Eventually, Rose said, the brother recovered the memory and went to police. His account established that the child’s death had resulted from an accident rather than an attack by Rose.
Rose Was Cleared but Still Couldn’t Attend the Funeral
Although Rose said she was cleared, the experience did not simply disappear from her life.
She recalled that the child’s mother did not want her attending the funeral. As a result, Rose said she was the only person in her group who did not attend.
The experience also followed her emotionally long after the investigation ended.
Rather than becoming something she could easily forget, Rose said the incident contributed to her longstanding interest in psychology and understanding how people respond to traumatic experiences.
Ruby Rose Says the Experience Shaped Her Interest in Psychology
Rose’s comments suggest that the incident became part of a much larger story about her early life.
During the Off the Vine conversation, she spoke about experiences from her childhood and the events that influenced her later outlook. The podcast describes the interview as a rare, deeply personal conversation about Rose’s life away from the spotlight.
Rose has since become known internationally for roles including Stella Carlin on Orange Is the New Black and Kate Kane/Batwoman in Batwoman. Her latest discussion, however, focused less on her acting career and more on experiences that shaped her before Hollywood.
The podcast episode was released on September 29, 2026, and was presented as Rose’s first podcast interview.
A Teenage Experience That Stayed With Ruby Rose
Rose’s recollection highlights how quickly a teenager’s attempt to help an injured child turned into a police investigation and intense social pressure.
She has described being cleared after the older brother eventually remembered the accident. Still, the accusations, bullying, and loss surrounding the child’s death remained significant memories from her youth.
More than two decades later, Rose is now discussing the experience publicly as part of a broader conversation about her childhood, psychology, and the events that shaped her life.