EXCLUSIVE: Katherine Ryan reveals advice she gave daughter Violet, 14, to protect her from sexual harassment – as star is praised for confronting Russell Brand about abuse allegations
Katherine Ryan has revealed the advice she gave her teenage daughter about dealing with sexual harassment.
The comedian, 40, has been praised in recent days after it emerged she confronted Russell Brand on-camera in 2018 about allegations he sexually assaulted women – which he fervently denied.
Brand, 48, has been subject to claims from a number of women accusing him of abusive and predatory behaviour, including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, between 2006 and 2013.
While her comments were not aired at the time, she has been vocal about the ‘open secret’ that a male comic was a predator, telling Louis Theroux last year that she had confronted the man, but he had ‘very good lawyers’.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline last week, conducted before the allegations against Brand were revealed, Ryan revealed how she had prepared her daughter to deal with any incidents of harassment.
Parenting: Katherine Ryan has revealed the advice she gave her 14-year-old daughter Violet about dealing with sexual harassment after she was
Ryan recently told how her daughter Violet, 14, had been sexually harassed on the tube during a visit to London with her cousin Lily, 16.
She opened up about how the teenagers were harassed by ‘grown men’ everywhere they went and alleged they were filmed on public transport in one vile incident.
Speaking to MailOnline about how she handled the incident going forward, she explained: ‘It’s an ongoing age appropriate conversation.
‘Violet’s very aware, she comes from a very opinionated family. My mother is even more vocal about this kind of thing than I am if you can believe that.
‘I think my mum’s from the generation where cat calling and unwanted attention was far more prevalent than it is now, believe it or not. It’s better now than the way my mum describes it.
‘But I think the whole message from talking about that experience to Violet and other young people or just any people who are out is that there are a lot of people who will do safeguarding as well.’
Offering advice to any young girl in a similar situation, Ryan revealed: ‘If you ever feel uncomfortable, you come up to a woman my age and you say “mum, that guy is making me feel weird” and I am automatically going to advocate for you and be your “mum.”
‘It seemed like every time Violet and her 16-year-old cousin came back from being in town, they had some other story.
‘It did surprise me really that it was every day but, you know, something positive came out of it.
‘I just told her like, “I’m not gonna stop you from living your life and going out, I know you’re getting older.”
‘It was a bit of a wake up call for me, but just approach a woman my age [if you are ever uncomfortable]. There are a lot of women like me who will go to jail for you!’
Speaking out: Ryan’s comments came just days before it was revealed she repeatedly accused Brand of being a ‘sexual predator’ during filming for Roast Battle in 2018
Outspoken: Ryan’s confrontations allegedly revealed how comedians in the industry were openly talking about Brand’s sexual and predatory behaviour (pictured on Tuesday)
Ryan’s comments came just days before it was revealed she repeatedly accused Brand of being a ‘sexual predator’ during filming for his last major television job in the UK before he was dropped from the show.
Brand was a judge on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle in 2018 but was only included for one season after Ryan allegedly roasted him on-camera about allegations he sexually assaulted women – which he fervently denied.
Roast Battle consists of comedians cracking jokes at each other’s expense. The first season included Brand, Ryan, and Jimmy Carr. Jonathan Ross replaced Brand for the second season.
During filming of the show – created by Fulwell 73 – Ryan reportedly fired allegations at Brand. Her comments did not make the aired show, according to Deadline.
READ MORE: What REALLY happened between Russell Brand and Katherine Ryan on Roast Battle: The VERY awkward interactions between the stars on Comedy Central as she accused him of being a ‘sexual predator’
Ryan’s confrontations allegedly revealed how comedians in the industry were openly talking about Brand’s sexual and predatory behaviour.
Brand was allegedly ‘absolutely furious’ after being targeted by Ryan on the show, a source told the paper.
Two other sources claimed he demanded that producers protect him from being roasted about these serious allegations.
Industry insiders have now revealed that they felt it was best Brand step down as a judge on the programme, and that ‘in the end, it came down to the fact that it seemed like Russell didn’t have a good sense of humour’.
This show appears to be one of Brand’s final appearances on UK TV screens, except for on the Great British Celebrity Bake Off in the same year.
Ryan previously claimed to have told a comedian ‘to his face’ that he was a sexual predator and that accusations against this person were an ‘open secret’.
The Canadian comic and writer told Louis Theroux that she had confronted the unnamed man while they worked together on a TV show in front of the audience ‘again and again’.
Speaking in 2022, Ryan said she had no qualms with doing so as she had decided to handle it ‘like a man’ – although the confrontation itself was later cut from the broadcast.
In her chat with Theroux, Ryan claimed she had received criticism afterwards for not naming the person in question in public, but said just talking about him was a ‘litigious minefield’ as he had ‘very good lawyers’.
The comedian added that it was ‘not my story to tell’ but that she believed the accusations as the sources were ‘very credible’.
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are now investigating an alleged sexual assault in Soho in 2013 – that took place three years before the four sexual assaults’ that Brand had already been accused of.
Brand ‘absolutely denies’ the allegations and insists all his relationships have been consensual.
Speaking out: The comedian, 40, has been praised in recent days after it emerged she confronted Russell Brand on-camera in 2018
Ryan has been praised on X, formerly known as Twitter, for her actions, with fans penning: ‘Can’t stop thinking about how gutsy Katherine Ryan was to know she wouldn’t be protected legally IRL so instead called Russell Brand a “predator” so many times on camera – in the context of a roast format – that the production had to fire him or confront allegations’;
‘Katherine Ryan going as far as humanely possible to out a sexual predator from an industry full of them’; ‘Instead of refusing to do the TV gig with Russell, which would have made his life easier and made her lose out on income and career opportunity, Katherine Ryan simply took the tea to the recording and made it too shameful for the producer to keep him in the gig. Very well done.’
‘Respect to Katherine Ryan. Calling someone out to there face isn’t easy! Especially if someone has power’;
‘Open secret’ means everyone knew and no one said anything. IMMENSE admiration for Katherine Ryan, in 2018 she sat next to Russell Brand, recording live TV, & repeatedly called him a sexual predator. He left British TV afterwards. Goddamn heroine behaviour,’
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