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Ruby Rose says she 'wasn't taken seriously' when she came out at the age of 12

Ruby Rose has revealed she was tormented by vile homophobic bullies during her teenage years. (Phillip Faraone/WireImage)
Ruby Rose has revealed she was tormented by vile homophobic bullies during her teenage years. (Phillip Faraone/WireImage)

Ruby Rose has revealed she has some regrets about choosing to publicly come out at the age of 12, saying she hadn't realised how homophobic people could be.

The former Batwoman star told Glamour she chose to embrace her sexuality because she "knew that to be my truth".

Read more: Ruby Rose almost paralysed after Batwoman injury

She added: "I didn’t know how to live without being open and honest about my identity, but I think I was also very young and maybe if I was a little bit older and I realised how homophobic people are, I might not have come out so young."

The 35-year-old said she was "bullied" and "tormented" at school, where she was the only publicly gay student.

Watch: Sam Heughan discusses fighting Ruby Rose in SAS: Red Notice

“In some ways it was good because people thought it was a phase,” Rose added.

“It's like: 'you're 12, it's a phase' and it didn't get taken as seriously.

"And then by the time everyone realised what that really meant, what being gay meant and what being with women meant, they'd gotten used to the fact that that's what I am.”

Read more: Sam Heughan discusses fighting Ruby Rose in SAS: Red Notice

Rose began her modelling career as a teenager and then took acting classes, moving on to presenting roles on shows like Australia's Next Top Model.

She broke out into the mainstream with her work in Orange is the New Black before snagging the Batwoman lead and a role as a mute assassin in John Wick: Chapter 2.

Ruby Rose stepped away from the lead role in 'Batwoman' after the first season. (The CW/Warner Bros)
Ruby Rose stepped away from the lead role in 'Batwoman' after the first season. (The CW/Warner Bros)

In the interview, carried out to mark Pride Month, Rose spoke about the importance for young LGBT+ people of seeing people like them represented on TV and in films.

"I was getting ready to graduate, and then The L Word came out, and suddenly everyone at school was gay," she said.

Read more: Ruby Rose reveals why she quit Batwoman

"It just goes to show how important it is to have a representation in the media.

"Because before The L Word, I didn't know there was anyone else that felt like me and looked like me and had the same feelings. It made life liveable for me.”

Watch: Ruby Rose convinced Morgan Freeman to record voicemail message