Debby Ryan has revealed she was in an abusive relationship.
The 21-year-old Disney star detailed her experience in an interview with Teen Vogue. Ryan clarified her abuser was not ex-boyfriend Josh Dun or a romantic partner, but said the person was someone who considered themselves her best friend.
"We also had a professional relationship and it was such emotional manipulation to the point where it became physical, and it stopped before it got too far," she shared. "The second someone puts their hand on you, a boundary has been crossed."
"If anyone is feeling manipulated or abused, that's the best it's going to get and you have to fight for yourself now," she urged. "I thought I was stronger than that, and it can make you feel weak. To be able to know that you're worth more than that and fight for yourself is a really difficult thing."
Ryan is now an advocate for "Don't Look Away," an anti-domestic violence campaign sponsored by Mary Kay. The Mary Kay Foundation was established in 1996, and has raised more than $31 million toward education, prevention and services for those experiencing abuse.
Ryan came to fame as Bailey Pickett on Disney sitcom The Suite Life on Deck, and currently stars as Jessie Prescott on Jessie. The series featured the network's first engagement storyline, and premiered a fourth and final season in January.