Debby Ryan has revealed that a fifth concussion left her with what she described as a 'life-altering brain injury,' putting her 'out of commission' for about six months and leading to six months of neurological rehabilitation.
The former Disney Channel star, 33, opened up about the experience during a 15 September appearance on Mythical Kitchen's Last Meals, where she discussed her history of concussions and the lasting effects she continues to experience.
Debby Ryan Reveals 'Life-Altering Brain Injury'
Ryan said she has suffered five concussions throughout her life, with the fifth having a substantially greater impact than the previous four.
'I had like a pretty crazy, life-altering brain injury a few years ago,' she revealed.
'Specifically, I would say after the fifth concussion, the brain injuries make things significantly worse,' she said while discussing her struggles with migraines.
'The brain injury that I had was not a blood,' she clarified. 'The first four, those ones were like an incident. The fifth one was sustained shaking over like a minute of time.'
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Ryan did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the fifth incident or what caused the sustained shaking.
She said the injury left her 'out of commission' for about six months and that she went to neurological rehabilitation for six months. She also underwent what she described as a 'fringe science treatment' that was 'really sci-fi and crazy'.
The actress said the treatment helped her feel as though she had got 'back online', but added that 'some things just did not come back'.
The Lasting Effects of the Injury
Ryan said the injury significantly worsened her migraines, which she described as 'hellish'. She explained that bright, noisy and busy environments can become overwhelming.
'Quite often I can just see better or think better with my eyes closed,' she said, explaining that the visual information she takes in can become distracting and overwhelming.
Ryan said the experience had created a distinction between 'pre-incident Debby and post-incident Debby', describing how her life changed after the injury.
She also said her migraines and brain injuries can make everyday surroundings feel excessively loud or bright, while closing her eyes can sometimes help her focus on a single thing.
Debby Ryan's Life and Career
Ryan became widely known after joining Disney Channel, where she played Bailey Pickett on The Suite Life on Deck before taking the lead role of Jessie Prescott in Jessie.
She later starred in films including 16 Wishes and Radio Rebel before leading Netflix's Insatiable.
According to Variety, Ryan is also continuing her acting career, with her 2026 film The Sun Never Sets featuring her alongside Dakota Fanning.
Ryan credited her support network with helping her navigate the changes following the injury, saying they reminded her who she was while allowing for the possibility that some aspects of her life could change permanently.
She said she felt fortunate to have people who continued to support and love her as she adjusted to those changes.
Ryan has not publicly disclosed when or where the incident occurred or provided further details about the circumstances surrounding it.
