Debby Ryan grew up on TV, transforming from child star to bonafide actress, singer, and
style icon, and while her path has been rife with challenges, she's come out on top.
Here's everything you didn't know about Debby Ryan.
Debby Ryan seems like a beacon of confidence, but she wasn't always that way.
In her younger years, she was plagued by a speech impediment that made it difficult for
her to pronounce r's.
With some help from her aunt, a speech pathologist, the issue was corrected, but that wasn't the
end of Ryan's struggles.
She also battled anxiety, telling Teen Vogue:
"It feels like the world is [made of] walls and they're all closing in on you and strangling
you from the inside.
When that begins to happen, your heart rate rises."
Anxiety prompted Ryan to retreat from the world, and she said she didn't completely
come out of her shell until she was seven.
Why then?
Well, because that's the year her mom introduced her to acting.
Let's not beat around the bush: Debby Ryan is a vision of beauty.
But despite the fact that she makes heads turn when she sets foot on the red carpet,
the Mighty Med actress suffers from body dysmorphia.
She admitted to Teen Vogue:
"For better or worse, I don't know if I've ever seen what other people see.
I don't know if everyone sees differently."
"I think I'll feel thin enough when I lose another ten pounds.
I just… keep wishing I looked perfect."
The actress has gone to great lengths to combat this mental illness.
She frequently attends therapy sessions, takes her prescribed medication, lets out a good
cry to free her emotions, and has learned to practice breathing techniques, explaining:
"Doing something like intentional breathing, proactively, and counting six in, eight out,
they're literal, tiny tricks and tips that [have] helped me."
In a candid interview with The Huffington Post, Debby Ryan revealed that school wasn't
always easy for her.
She was frequently bullied for being a "nerd."
"Would you say that you were a popular kid?
Or, not really?"
"....No.
No."
While there's really no one right way to deal with someone who relentlessly torments you,
Ryan appeared to have the perfect comeback for the students who were making her life
a living hell, and, no, it didn't involve arson.
She recalled:
"Every time [my bully] would say something [mean], I would roll my eyes and be like,
'Ugh, really?
I hope putting someone down makes you feel so awesome.
Look, you can throw an insult at someone!
That makes you special.'"
Once she flipped the script on her haters, they finally realized they couldn't break
her, and she realized that, after a while, pretending to be indestructible actually made
you indestructible.
Being an accomplished actress means Debby Ryan is bombarded with invitations to the
industry's elite events, and it's not uncommon to see her in the front row at New York Fashion
Week runway shows.
Ryan isn't just a fashion consumer.
She's a style expert.
Ryan isn't happy buying cookie-cutter clothing from retail stores.
In an interview, she told Relate Mag that she typically hunts for eccentric pieces at
vintage stores.
You might also spot her at a souvenir shop on her quest to find interesting items to
add to her style arsenal.
When all else fails, she'll rummage through her brother's closet for fashionable gems
and cut his clothes apart to make them "her own."
Let's hope her bro doesn't mind that his wardrobe is being torn apart and pieced back together
in the name of fashion!
Ryan may lead an enviable life, but that doesn't mean she's a stranger to scary situations.
She opened up to Teen Vogue about an abusive situation she found herself in, and it involved
someone she considered a best friend.
"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.
[...] The time I decided to get out wasn't too late, but it was really, really late in
the game."
Ryan recalled her former friend showing up to one of her meet and greets.
When the actress refused to talk to him, he allegedly threw a phone at her, screamed and
cursed at her, and punched a wall.
He didn't stop there, sobbing and apologizing, he grabbed her and locked her in a nearby
bathroom with him.
Thankfully, her loved ones stepped in just in time to help her.
Looking back on the incident, Ryan shared a warning for others who may be involved in
an abusive relationship:
"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."
Debby Ryan has been very open about living with body dysmorphia and anxiety.
But in a very candid Instagram post, the actress and singer told her millions of followers
that she also battles manic depression.
Because the disorder involves a wide range of mood swings, ranging from depressive lows
to manic highs, the Disney alum said the condition makes her really appreciate every single moment
of happiness.
We applaud Ryan for having the strength to openly share her ups and downs, and we look
forward to watching her grow as an actress and an icon!