Debby Ryan, an actress known for "Jessie" and "16 Wishes" opened up this week about her yearslong struggle with brain health issues.
The health challenges stemmed from a "life-altering" brain injury several years ago, Ryan said, noting that while she received treatment, some effects remain. The former Disney Channel star made the comments in a Sept. 15 appearance on the food-centric interview YouTube show "Mythical Kitchen," USA TODAY reported.
"I'm a migraine warrior, and quite often the world is really loud. It's really too bright. It's too, there's a lot going on," Ryan said. "Specifically, I would say after the fifth concussion, the brain injuries make things significantly worse."
Here's what to know about Debby Ryan's health.
What happened to Debby Ryan?
Debby Ryansuffered
a "life-altering" brain injury several years ago and underwent treatments, though she still experiences the lingering effects, she said in a Sept. 15 appearance on the food-centric interview YouTube show "Mythical Kitchen."
"I had a pretty crazy, life-altering brain injury a few years ago, and I was out of commission for six months. And I went to this neurological rehab for six months, went and did this fringe science treatment that was really sci-fi and crazy, and I've done it a couple times and it kind of got me back online," Ryan said in part of her remarks.
Ryan admitted that despite all the treatments, "there are some things that just did not come back."
She shared that she's suffered from a total of five concussions, four of which she described as "incident" based while the other was from "sustained shaking" that took place over the course of a minute.
"There's sort of pre-incident Debby and post-incident Debby..." Ryan said. "The brain of it all is that quite often I can just see better or think better with my eyes closed. The visual data that I'm taking in can be so distracting and so loud."
Ryan, who said her migraines "significantly worsened" after the series of injuries, said that it all became "too much."
Ryan's most recent work is the 2026 drama "The Sun Never Sets," which came out this month. She stars alongside Dakota Fanning. The movie tells of a woman whose relationship with her older, divorced boyfriend hits a rough patch just as her ex reappears in her life.
Who is Debby Ryan?
Born Deborah Ann Ryan in Huntsville, Alabama, known as Debby Ryan, she is an actress known for being a former Disney Channel star.
She was featured as Jessie, a New York City nanny from Texas in the television series "Jessie," and had roles in the movies "Radio Rebel" and "16 Wishes," along with more recent appearances in films like "Turtles All the Way Down," and "The Sun Never Sets."
She is married to Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun and the couple has one child, Felix Winter Dun, according to IMDb.
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Disney actress talks of brain injury. What 'Jessie' star is dealing with
