The Rose That Grew From The Concrete

It takes a lot of courage and determination to overcome terrible dark clouds like a lifelong struggle with mental health—but it is a completely different thing altogether to come out of that darkness and focus all of that energy into aiding those struggling with their inner demons. Ruby Rose is a great example of the latter, bouncing back better than ever after having had a very public battle with depression, and is now championing for anti-bullying in any way she can. From supporting campaigns and opening up to fans about her own depression and her close call with suicide to releasing a short film in 2014 about her own struggles called, Break Free, Ruby Rose is a beacon of light for countless of women. This month, Azza Arif gets up-close and personal with the inspiration icon.

- Azza Arif

THE world fell in love with the insanely beautiful Australian-born DJ, former MTV VJ, model, actress and activist, after her stellar performance as the confident Stella Carlin in Orange is The New Black. And after that, Ruby starred in xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Sheep and Wolves, John Wick, Pitch Perfect 3 and most recently, The Meg, which premieres in cinemas this month. She also fronted campaigns for various brands, from Urban Decay, Maybelline, Swarovski, Nike, Ralph Lauren’s Denim & Supply and Bonds. But the campaigns that really caught the public’s eye, and impacted their hearts were the campaigns for various causes she believed in, from equality and LGBTQIA rights to anti-bullying and animal rights. This positive role model is also an ambassador for Headspace, a youth mental health foundation that aims to provide early intervention mental health services to 12-25-year-olds, along with assistance in promoting young peoples’ wellbeing.

But fame didn’t come easy for Ruby, despite her amazing talents and striking good looks. Just like everyone else in Hollywood, she was once struggling to make it in the business. Born in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1986, she grew up on the run with her mother Katia Langenheim, from her abusive father. In high school, she became the target of violent bullies who landed her in hospital. “I’ve always wanted to write a book about my high school experience so that kids going through similar things that I did would have something tangible to read and feel like they weren’t alone.”