Debby Ryan Opens Up About Relationship Abuse

Abuse can come in many forms. Just ask Debby Ryan. She recently opened up about her own experience and how she managed to get out of the situation. However you may be surprised to hear who the person is.

In a new interview with Teen Vogue, the Jessie star talked about how she was in a bad relationship and had to get out of it before it was too late. But before you think it's about her former flame, Josh Dun, the drummer from Twenty One Pilots, it's not. Instead it was a friend.

She told Teen Vogue,

"The time I decided to get out wasn't too late, but it was really, really late in the game. I'm very fortunate because I had people help me get this person out of my life, out of my house—like physically lock the door. I mean, he showed up across the country at a meet-and-greet of mine and said he needed to talk to me," she says. "I hadn't talked to him in a month. I told him to leave my life. So he threw a phone at me and it shattered to pieces and he was screaming, punching the wall, and cussing me out. Then he started bawling and said he's sorry and loves me. And then grab me by the wrist and pull me in a bathroom and lock the door."

Debby also added, "I wasn't dating this person. This person considered themselves my 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. 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."

While the idea of an abusive relationship with a friend is one that's hardly spoken about, Debby believes that these are situations that no one should ever experience. And the abuse doesn't necessarily have to be physical or verbal, it can also be digital, too.

"People that demand your password and always look over your shoulder, ask who you're texting, and grab your phone and let themselves in—that's not OK," she told the magazine. After realizing how common the patterns are in other women, she knew it was something she needed to speak up about.

With Debby's personal experience and passion to stop this and any kind of abuse from happening, she has partnered with Mary Kay and Love is Respect on their "Don't Look Away" campaign. Through this platform, she will be able shed light on dating violence and get women the help they need to report these kinds of incidents. All they need to do is text "Love Is Respect" to 22522.

"There's a 24-hour, completely safe, completely anonymous texting counsel service," she explained. It's people our age helping you through it. You can text them anything, from getting help calling the police to asking about the signs of dating abuse."

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