Debby Ryan Discloses Life-Altering Brain Injury After Five Concussions

Debby Ryan revealed she suffered a life-altering brain injury several years ago that left her out of commission for six months and required extensive neurological rehabilitation. The 33-year-old actress shared the details during a September 15, 2026 appearance on the web series Mythical Kitchen’s Last Meals.

Ryan said she has suffered five concussions over the course of her life. The first four resulted from blunt force incidents, while the fifth involved sustained shaking over a minute of time.

‘I had a pretty crazy life-altering brain injury a few years ago, and I was out of commission for like six months, and I went to this neurological rehab for like six months,’ Ryan said. ‘I went and did this fringe science treatment that was, like, really sci-fi and crazy. That kind of got me back online, but there were some things that just did not come back.’

Ryan did not provide additional details about the circumstances of the fifth concussion. She now distinguishes between ‘pre-incident Debby and post-incident Debby.’

She also described her ongoing struggles with migraines, which she said were significantly worsened by the brain injuries. ‘Quite often the world is really loud. It’s really too bright, it’s too — there’s a lot going on,’ she explained. ‘The visual data that I’m taking in can be so distracting.’

Ryan said she sometimes thinks better with her eyes closed due to the sensory overload.

She credited her support system for helping her through the aftermath. ‘I feel really fortunate that I have an amazing team of people around me who sort of reminded me who I am and was and also held a lot of space for that to change, potentially permanently, and love me through that,’ she said.

Ryan rose to prominence as Bailey Pickett on Disney Channel’s The Suite Life on Deck in 2008. She later starred in the Disney Channel series Jessie from 2011 to 2015 and led the Netflix comedy Insatiable.

She is married to Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Felix, in December 2025.

Ryan currently stars in the 2026 drama The Sun Never Sets alongside Dakota Fanning. She also appears in the sci-fi thriller Orion, which is set for a U.S. theatrical release on October 2, 2026, and has a role in the upcoming thriller Famous with Zac Efron and Phoebe Dynevor.

The brain injury disclosure was first reported by People and subsequently covered by Variety, Entertainment Weekly, E! Online, and other outlets. As of September 18, 2026, Ryan has not shared further details about the injury or its long-term prognosis.