Disney star Debby Ryan has revealed that she was once in an abusive relationship.

Debby, who stars in the lead role of Disney’s Jessie since 2011 is raising awareness as an advocate for a domestic violence campaign, 'Don’t Look Away'.

The actress spoke to Teen Vogue about the dark time in her life when things began to take a sinister turn in her relationship: “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.”

Debby says that it is important to know when a partner is crossing over the line into over-possessive: “People that demand your password and always look over your shoulder, as who you’re texting, and grab your phone and let themselves in – that’s not ok.”

The actress also spoke about the fact that it was not only romantic relationships that can turn sour: “I wasn’t dating this person. This person considered themselves my best friend. We 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.”

Thankfully, Debby had a strong network of friends and family around her in order to stop things before they got worse: “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.”

We’re so glad Debby managed to deal with her abusive relationship in time and hopefully her story can help others who feel trapped in similar situations.