When Ruby Rose abruptly announced in May that she was leaving her dream job of playing the first lesbian superhero in the lead role on CW’s Batwoman after only one season, rumors swirled as to the reason. Now in a new interview, Rose opens up and reveals that while injuries weighed heavily in her decision, it was a reevaluation of her life goals during the pandemic-induced filming hiatus that allowed her to reevaluate her goals in life.

“You know, you have time in quarantine and sort of isolation to just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do,” Rose told Entertainment Weekly.

There was considerable outcry on social media when Rose, who is genderfluid and a lesbian, was cast in the role. The Orange is the New Black actor was met with tweets from some who seemed unaware she was queer. There was further outcry when Rose seemed to push off the sexuality of the role as insignificant. Rose addressed the complaints last September when she told Buzzfeed’s AM to DM she didn’t really care about the backlash because she “worked really hard to get that role.” But then she quit leaving many to wonder why.

“Being the lead of a superhero show is tough,” Rose told Entertainment Weekly. “Being the lead in anything is tough. But I think, in that particular instance, it was a lot more difficult because I was still recovering from my surgery.”

Rose underwent emergency surgery last year to repair two herniated discs that threatened to paralyze her due to an on set stunt injury. At the time, she spoke of “chronic pain” and the inability to feel her arms.

Despite the severity of the injuries and surgery, Rose was back on the set working in less than two weeks, which she admits in retrospect “maybe wasn’t the best idea” since most people “take about a month or three before they return to work.”

Rose tells Entertainment Weekly she is more than happy with Javicia Leslie taking over her former role on the series, saying “she seems fantastic” and that she was “proud and so happy” when she learned the news. Leslie will be the first Black actress to play the iconic role.

“I’m just really stoked and I’m definitely going to watch the next season as well and see how it all comes together,” Rose said.